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The blessed Buddha once said: Friends, the first consideration is: Whatever Suffering arises, this Suffering is caused by Acquisition! Another consequent & subsequent consideration is therefore: Stopping all Acquisition of Fuel, stops all arising of Suffering! Taking up many acquisitions, clinging to possessions & thereby accumulating fuel for renewed becoming, the fool comes to Suffering ever again & again! Letting go, renouncing, & leaving all behind, the wise goes scot free at ease!
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this very life, or if there is remaining traces of Clinging left, the state of non-return... Those who neglect analysis & understanding of Clinging, the origin of Clinging, the end of Clinging, and how Clinging is completely & irreversibly eliminated, are incapable of release by understanding, are incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, & thus incapable of making an end... They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again & again... While those who undertake understanding of Clinging, Origin, End & Way, are indeed capable of mental release by understanding, direct knowledge, & thus capable of making an end... They are headed towards the deathless!
The blessed Buddha once said: Friends, the first clever consideration is: Whatever Suffering arises, this Suffering is caused by Ignorance! Another consequent and subsequent consideration is: Clearing all Ignorance by Understanding, stops all arising of any Suffering!
This immensely long round of rebirth with transition from now this, then to that form, is caused by this dreadfully deep Ignorance alone! Those who really understand this, do not renew any return into any form of being... Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this very life, or if there is remaining traces of Clinging left, win the state of non-return... Those who neglect understanding of Ignorance, the origin of Ignorance, the End of Ignorance, and how Ignorance is completely eliminated, are incapable of release by Understanding, are incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and are thereby incapable of making an end... They will therefore repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again... While those who do undertake understanding of Ignorance, Origin, End & Way, are indeed capable of mental release by understanding, direct absolute knowledge, and thus capable of making an end... They are thus headed towards the deathless!
The dear companion can be the proximate cause for Mutual Joy, where one rejoices in another being's success... One thus rejoicing in others fortune is called a 'boon companion', for he is constantly glad: He laughs first and speaks afterward! So he should be the first to be pervaded with gladness. Or on seeing a dear person being happy, cheerful and glad, mutual joy can be aroused thus: 'See this being is indeed glad! How good, how excellent!' Just as one would be glad at seeing a dear and beloved person very happy, exactly so does one pervade all other beings in all directions with mutual joy... Rejoicing mutual joy can also be aroused by remembering others happiness in the past and recollecting the elated joy aspect in this way: 'In the past he had great wealth, a great following and he was always glad'. Or mutual joy can be aroused by apprehending the future glad aspect of his in this way: 'In the future he will again enjoy similar success and will go about in gold palanquins, on the backs of elephants or on horseback'. Having thus aroused mutual joy regarding a dear person, one can then direct the very same feeling successively towards a neutral one, and gradually towards any hostile person. Vbh 274, Vism I 316
Comments: Mutual joy causes Contentment! No mutual joy thus means Discontentment! Therefore: If being generally dissatisfied, then be happy over others gains. Secondly: Mutual joy causes all envy & jealousy to evaporate into equanimity!
The blessed Buddha once said: Friends, the first consideration is: Whatever Suffering arises, all that is caused by Mental Construction! The consequent second consideration is: Stilling of all Mental Construction thereby ceases all Suffering completely!
Knowing this danger: - All Suffering is caused by Mental Construction -, by silencing all experience, sensation and feeling, the wise escape all Pain! Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here and now in this life, or if there is remaining traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner. Those who neglect understanding of mental construction, the origin of mental construction, the end of mental construction, and how mental construction is eliminated, are incapable of release by understanding, are incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and are thereby incapable of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again... While those who undertake understanding of mental construction, Origin, End and Way, indeed are capable of mental release by understanding, sure certainty, and capable of making an end... They are near the deathless dimension!
Friends, the first consideration is: Whatever Suffering arises, it does so caused by Consciousness! Another consequent and subsequent consideration is: By ending Consciousness , there cannot ever arise any Suffering!
Knowing this danger: All Suffering emerges due to Consciousness, and by stopping consciousness, there cannot therefore ever be any pain!, any with intelligence would quench his craving, and latent urge for being conscious... Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here and now in this life, or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner... Those who neglect the understanding of consciousness itself, the cause of consciousness, the end of consciousness, & how consciousness is completely eliminated, are incapable of release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and are thereby also incapable of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again! While those who undertake understanding of Consciousness, Origin, End & Way, are quite capable of mental release by understanding, and capable of making an end... They are indeed near the deathless dimension!
Breakthrough to the Truths Safeguards Against Downfall Rebirth!
The Blessed Gotama Buddha once explained: Bhikkhus and friends, see this little bit of dust, I have taken up upon the nail of my little-finger? What do you think is most: This tiny bit of dust or this great Planet Earth? The Bhikkhus then responded: Venerable Sir, this great Planet Earth is much, much more, incomparably more. This speck of dust is trifling, microscopic, & negligible in comparison.
The Blessed Gotama Buddha then pointed out: Similarly & exactly so too, Bhikkhus, those who are reborn among human beings are few and quite rare, beings reborn elsewhere, lower, as non-humans are much more numerous and common. Why is it so? Because, Bhikkhus, they have not seen the 4 Noble Truths! What four? 1: This is Suffering; 2: Craving is the Cause of Suffering; 3: No Craving is the End of Suffering; 4: The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering. Therefore, Bhikkhus and friends, exertion should be made right Now to understand: All This is Suffering; This Greedy Craving is the sole Cause of all Suffering; No Craving is the End of Suffering; The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering. Therefore should effort to fathom these 4 Noble Truths be made right NOW!
Comments: Animals are much more common than humans (trillions of billions of insects and fish), since this rebirth at this level is much more common! Similarly with ghosts, demons, and hell beings. Downfall to these states are common, because evil and immoral actions such as Killing, Stealing, Lying, Sexually Abusing, Drinking and Drugging are common! Ethics is thus the core factor of creation and conditioning of any future being...
Video illustrating life among humans, in heaven and in hell:
The blessed Buddha once said: Friends, the first consideration is: Whatever Suffering arises, all does so caused by Contact! Another consequent consideration is: By stopping Contact, there cannot ever arise any Suffering!
The fool immerses himself in contact and suffers thereby, when it fades. The wise by comprehending this inherent danger in any contact withdraw, by quenching his urge for contacting ever changing imprints of sensation... Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here and now in this life, or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner... Those who neglect understanding of contact, the origin of contact, the end of contact, and how contact is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thus incapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end... They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again... While those who undertake understanding of contact, Origin, End and Way, are quite capable of mental release by understanding, and capable of making an end... They are near the deathless dimension!
Video: 1 Million Children Training Buddhist Meditation!
If they can, so can U! Wisdom grows from meditation. From no meditation wisdom fades. Knowing this relation between progress and decay any clever one would settle on the pure & practical way to growth of genuine understanding. Dhammapada 282
Harmful is all false speech, lying, pretending, deceiving, & misleading!
Once in Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this: What, householder friends, is the Dhamma explanation befitting for oneself? Here, householder friends, a Noble Disciple reflects thus: If someone were to damage my welfare with false speech, lying, pretending, deceiving, & misleading, that would neither be pleasing nor agreeable to me. Similarly, if I were speak false to, lie to, pretend, deceive, and mislead another being, that would damage that being's welfare & would neither be pleasing nor agreeable nor acceptable to that other being either.... What is displeasing and disagreeable to me, is also displeasing and disagreeable to any other being too. How can I harm & hurt another being with what provoke annoy and exasperate myself? Having reflected repeatedly thus, then gradually: 1: He/she will carefully avoid all false speech, deception, and deceitfulness... 2: He/she will persuade others also to abstain from all false speech and lying... 3: He/she will praise speaking only honest, trustworthy, plain, straight Truth... In this very way is this advantageous verbal behaviour purified in 3 respects!!
You can run away from your mistake, but not from your regret. You can play with your drama, but not with your karma. Theravada Buddhist Chaiteet Heng, Malaysia
One should never Harm other beings by Deceiving them with False Speech!
Source (edited extract): The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:354-5] section 55: Sotapattisamyutta. Thread 7: To the people at the Bamboo gate...
Equanimity just looks on and observes, while calmly settled in composed neutrality. Equanimity is characterized as promoting the aspect of impartiality among beings. Its function is to see the equality of all beings. It is manifested as the quieting of both resentment and approval. Its proximate cause is seeing and comprehending the ownership and efficacy of kamma thus: All beings are owners of their actions, born, created and conditioned by the accumulated effect of their past intentions! Whose, if not theirs, is the choice by which they have become happy, or unhappy, or will break free from suffering, or have fallen down from their past good state? Equanimity succeeds, when it makes both resentment and approval subside, and it fails, when it instead produces a bored, indifferent, & careless state of negligence! Vism I 318
Comments: Non-involved and even Equanimity is a subtle form of happiness... By stabilization it perfects and consummates all the other six links to awakening: Awareness, Investigation, Energy, Joy and Concentration. Equanimity is the proximate cause for knowing and seeing it, as it really is. Equanimity quenches any upset agitation! When seeing and noting: 'All this is constructed, conditioned, coarse and transient! But this state of serene equanimity is indeed exquisitely peaceful...', then instantly ceases any arisen agreeable or nasty feeling, when Equanimity takes its stance
Power of Equanimity: Not much agitation, wavering or panic here!
The Blessed Buddha once said: How, Bhikkhus and friends, is material food to be considered? Imagine, two persons, husband & wife, with only few provisions, are wandering through a desert with their only child, their beloved and dear little son. However in the middle of the desert, their food runs out! Then this husband and wife think: Let us kill our only child, our loved dear little son, prepare dried flesh, and thus while eating this cross the rest of the desert. But, while eating this flesh, they beat their breasts, weeping and lamenting: Where is our own little son now? Where is our only child? What do you think, Bhikkhus and friends: Do these two people eat their food for amusement, or for pleasure, or to become beautiful? No, Venerable Sir. Do they eat this foul food, their only son's flesh only to escape the desert? Indeed so, Venerable Sir. Even and Exactly so, Bhikkhus and friends, should one regard all material food! Once one has fully understood material food, one has also understood any kind of greed for all five sense objects. Once one has fully understood the greed for the 5 sense objects, then there exists no more any mental chain, bound by which the Noble Disciple could ever return again to this world!
The Blessed Buddha has said: Profound, Ananda, is this dependent origination, and profound does it appear. It is through not understanding, not penetrating, this subtle law that this world resembles a tangled ball of thread, a bird's nest, a thicket of grass or reed... Any person who does not understand this, does neither escape from the lower states of existence, from the course of pain, misery & suffering, from this round of rebirth. Digha Nikaya 15
Whoever understands dependent origination understands the Dhamma. Whoever understands the Dhamma understands the dependent origination. Majjhima Nikaya 28
Dependent Co-Arising (Paticca Samuppada): Ignorance causes mental construction to arise. Mental construction causes consciousness to arise. Consciousness causes name-&-form, mind-&-matter to arise. Name-&-form cause the-6-sense-sources to arise. The-6-sense-sources cause contact to arise. Contact causes feeling to arise. Feeling causes craving to arise. Craving causes clinging to arise. Clinging causes becoming to arise. Becoming causes birth to arise. Birth causes ageing, decay, & death to arise. Ageing, decay, & death cause Suffering to arise. So is the emergence of this entire mass of Suffering!
The Chain of Causality of Being is exceedingly Vast & Subtle!
There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the mental moments. There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the material moments. There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the life of a being. There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the galaxies of the universe. This sweeping yet exhaustive description of causality applies to all these above four extreme time-scales and all those in between. Verily indeed a Universal Generality is this Dependent Co-Arising (Paticca Samuppada)!
The 5 Abilities (indriya) are: The ability of Faith (saddha) The ability of Energy (viriya) The ability of Awareness (sati) The ability of Concentration (samadhi) The ability of Understanding (pañña)
They depend mutually and strengthen each other in forward & reverse causality. The 1st causes the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th. In parallel all mutually enhances each other! Such are essentially fine examples of co-dependent co-arising! Paticca-samuppada:
Vice-Versa Causality: One who has faith, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also has faith. One who has faith, is also aware. One who is aware, also has faith. One who has faith, also concentrates. One who concentrates, also has faith. One who has faith, also understands. One who understands, also has faith.
One who is energetic, is also aware. One who is aware, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also concentrates. One who concentrates, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also understands. One who understands, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also has faith. One who has faith, is also energetic.
One who is aware, also concentrates. One who concentrates, is also aware. One who is aware, also understands. One who understands, is also aware. One who is aware, also has faith. One who has faith, is also aware. One who is aware, is also energetic. One who is energetic, is also aware.
One who concentrates, also understands. One who understands, also concentrates. One who concentrates, also has faith. One who has faith, also concentrates. One who concentrates, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also concentrates. One who concentrates, is also aware. One who is aware, also concentrates.
One who understands, also has faith. One who has faith, also understands. One who understands, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also understands. One who understands, is also aware. One who is aware, also understands. One who understands, also concentrates. One who concentrates, also understands.
On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days: Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines in a loud, calm & steady voice:
As long as this life lasts: I hereby take refuge in the Buddha. I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma. I hereby take refuge in the Sangha. I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time. I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time. I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time. I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time. I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time. I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time. I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!
I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules: I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs. As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...
Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to this world! So is the start towards Nibbana: the Deathless Element! This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness, initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and fulfilled by training of Meditation...
Today indeed is Pooya or uposatha or observance day, where any lay Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha, they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here! The New Noble Community of Buddha's Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha: http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm
Scientific Reincarnation Evidence by Dr Ian Stevenson
Some children can remember exact & verifiable details of their prior life they never could have come to know in this their current child life. These details can be objectively and independently confirmed. Remarkably & quite biologically enigmatic: Some of them have birth marks and birth defects at very same locations as the lethal injury causing their often abrupt and violent past life death. Eg. Born with 5 missing fingers after a prior life accident where they were cut off... Birthmarks at the exact location where they got gunshot wounds in their prior life, which could be confirmed from the autopsy report of their deceased individuality. Furthermore: Some can speak a language they never have learnt in this life (xenoglossy) corresponding to their past life language & nationality. They can in some cases remember names of siblings and other family members in their past life family who they never have met in this life...
Selected Ian Stevenson Bibliography: (1974). Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (second revised and enlarged edition). University of Virginia Press. (1974). Xenoglossy: A Review and Report of A Case. University of Virginia Press. (1975). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. I: Ten Cases in India. University of Virginia Press. (1978). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. II: Ten Cases in Sri Lanka. University of Virginia Press. (1980). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. III: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey. University of Virginia Press. (1983). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. IV: Twelve Cases in Thailand and Burma. University of Virginia Press. (1984). Unlearned Language: New Studies in Xenoglossy. University of Virginia Press. (1997). Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects. Volume 1: Birthmarks. Volume 2: Birth Defects and Other Anomalies. Praeger Publishers. (1997). Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect. Praeger Publishers (a short, non-technical version of Reincarnation and Biology). (2000). Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation (revised edition). (2003). European Cases of the Reincarnation Type. McFarland & Company.
Summarized in the recent: Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson http://www.amazon.com/Science-Self-Survival-after-Death/dp/1442221143 https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442221147 by his colleague, Emily Williams Kelly: Ian Stevenson was a prominent and internationally-known psychiatrist, researcher, prolific author, and well-regarded figure in the field of psychical research. Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson is the first book devoted to surveying the entirety of his work and the extraordinary scope and variety of his research. He studied universal questions that cut to the core of a person’s identity: What is consciousness? How did we become the unique individuals that we are? Do we survive in some form after death? Stevenson’s writings on the nature of science and the mind-body relationship, as well as his empirical research, demonstrate his strongly held belief that the methods of science can be applied successfully to such humanly vital questions. Featuring a selection of his papers and excerpts from his books, this collection presents the larger context of Stevenson’s work and illustrates the issues and questions that guided him throughout his career. Our esteemed colleague, Emily Williams Kelly, is the editor of this collection of Dr. Stevenson's writing.
How is the gradual refinement of the 5 mental abilities?
There are these 5 mental Abilities: The ability of faith , The ability of energy , The ability of awareness , The ability of concentration , The ability of understanding !
What are the six aspects of these abilities? They are dominant. They are initiating. They makes quality. They are stabilizing. They are completing. They are the foundation.
How are the abilities to be understood in the sense of being dominant? When one leaves behind skeptic doubt, the faith ability is found in one as being dominated by definitive decision. This faith ability dominated by resolute determination to decision, then facilitates exertion, presence, non-distraction and seeing.
When one leaves behind laziness, the energy ability is found in one as being dominated by exertion of effort. This energy ability dominated by exerting effort, then facilitates presence, non-distraction, seeing and decisiveness.
When one leaves behind negligence, the awareness ability is found in one as being dominated by presence. This awareness ability dominated by presence, firmly founded, then facilitates non-distraction, seeing, decisiveness and exertion.
When one leaves behind agitation, the concentration ability is found in one as being dominated by non-distraction. This concentration ability dominated by non-distraction, calm, then facilitates seeing, decisiveness, exertion and presence.
When one leaves behind ignorance, the understanding ability is found in one as being dominated by seeing. This understanding ability dominated by seeing, penetrative and clear, then facilitates decisiveness, exertion, presence and non-distraction.
This is how the abilities are to be found and understood as through dominance!
Enthusiastic Energy Boosts Advantageous Right Effort!
By it one strives and struggles, thus is it energetic effort. Any advantageous exertion of endeavour is a right effort. By it one works in the right direction, thus is it right effort. It is right, because it eliminates all the ugly evil mentalities. It is effort, because it brings progress of well-being and bliss. Therefore is it called Right Effort. It is a name for Energy... Right Effort achieves these four functions: 1: Elimination of already arisen detrimental mental states! 2: Prevention of detrimental mental states not yet arisen! 3: Initiation of advantageous mental states not yet arisen! 4: Maintenance of already arisen advantageous mental states! Thus is it fourfold. That is why it is called the 4 right efforts...
Friendly + Unselfish = Honourable! Who is hospitable, and friendly, Generous and unselfish, A guide, a teacher, a leader, Such one will to honour attain. Digha Nikaya 3.273
Individual existence, as well as the whole world, is in absolute reality nothing but a process of ever changing phenomena, which all are included in the five groups of existence: Form, Feeling, Perception, Construction & Consciousness! This process has gone on from time immemorial, before one's birth, & also after one's death it will continue for an endless period of time, as long, and as far, as there are causing conditions feeding it! These five groups of phenomena in no way constitute an ego-entity, enduring personality, same self or inner soul neither when taken separately nor when combined... Neither can any identity or substance be found 'outside' of these all embracing groups of phenomena... In other words, the five groups of existence are not-self or no-self = anatta, nor do they belong to a self = anattaniya. In view of the impermanence & the conditionality of all existence, a belief in any form of self must be evaluated as an illusion. Why so? Self must stay the 'same' in order to remain a true self. But nothing here or there ever stays the same! All is transient & impermanent! Secondly: Self must be in control to be called a self. But no self can control causality... Things arise & cease - despite whatever self - due to conditions... Since nothing stays the 'same' as an identical identity, no thing can be self! Since nothing is in full control even of itself or any other, no thing can be self! Just as what we designate by the name car, has no existence apart from axle, wheels, motor, chassis, and so forth, or as the word house is only a convenient designation for various materials such as cement, clay, wood etc. put together in a specific way so as to close a portion of space. Apart from these materials there is no separate 'house entity' in existence! In exactly same way is that, which we call a 'being' or 'individual', or 'person', or by the name 'I' or 'Me' nothing but an ever changing mixture of physical & mental phenomena, made up of the above mentioned five groups and has as such no real existence in itself. This is, in brief, the anatta doctrine of the Buddha: The teaching that fathoms that all that exists dead or alive is void (suñña) of a permanent self or substance! It is the fundamental Buddhist doctrine, not found at all in any other religious or philosophical system. To comprehend it fully, not only in a neat abstract and intellectual way, but by constant reference to actual experience, is indeed an indispensable condition for the true understanding of the Buddha-Dhamma and for the realization of its goal: Nibbana... Yeah!
Venerable Nyanatiloka Thera: Born 1922 in Germany. Died 1957 on Ceylon.
The Ego Tunnel - Prof. Dr. Thomas Metzinger TED video:
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus and friends, these 8 things, purified, cleansed, immaculate, free from distortion, elegant and sophisticated, if not arisen do not arise at all except from the appearance of a Tathagata, an Arahat, a Perfectly Enlightened One, or outside a Well-Gone-One’s Discipline! What eight?
1: Right View (samma-ditthi) 2: Right Motivation (samma-sankappa) 3: Right Speech (samma-vaca) 4: Right Action (samma-kammanta) 5: Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva) 6: Right Effort (samma-vayama) 7: Right Awareness (samma-sati) 8: Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)
These 8 things, purified, cleared, faultless, unaltered and not decayed, advanced and refined, if not emerged do not appear, except when a Thus-Come-Thus-Gone One, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One emerges, except for when the Method of Training of a Well-Gone One is well established… Just these 8 immaculate Things…
Any greed, lust, desire, longing, urge, hankering, hoping or wishing for this or that state must be made to fade away absolutely, enabling mind to be fully released and thus liberated by the elimination of all greed. All states of the 3 planes (sensual, fine-material and formless existence) is meant all-inclusively, since it is necessary not to omit anything suitable for complete comprehension. The Blessed One said: Bhikkhus, without directly knowing, without fully under- standing all, without causing the fading away of any greed for this all, without leaving it all behind, the mind is incapable of the full destruction of suffering! Bhikkhus, it is by directly knowing, by fully understanding all, by causing the fading away of greed for it, by abandoning it, that the mind becomes capable of the irreversible complete destruction of all suffering! SN IV 17
Homage to that Perfectly Self-Enlightened One! Thus, indeed, is that the Blessed One: He is the worthy One, fully enlightened, endowed with clear vision and virtuous conduct, sublime, the knower of worlds, the incomparable leader of men to be tamed, the teacher of gods and men, awakened and blessed. Forever do I reverence for the Buddhas of the past, those of the times to come, those Buddhas of the present time... No other refuge do I seek: The Buddha is my only true refuge. By this Truth may peaceful victory be mine! I revere with my head the dust on his holy feet. If I have wronged the Buddha, may the Buddha bear with me. Until life’s end, to the Buddha I go for saving refuge. Who is the foremost speaker among mankind, The Sakyan Sage, O Holy One, whose task is done, gone beyond, possessed of supreme power and energy! To you, the wellcome and wellgone One, I go for refuge!
Homage to that perfectly formulated Dhamma! The Dhamma of the Blessed One is perfectly explained, to be seen here and now, inviting one to come and see, leading onward to Nibbana; to be known by any wise, each for himself. Homage to that Dhamma leading out of this suffering, out of samsara! The Dhamma of the ages past, the Dhamma of the times to come, the Dhamma of the present time, forever do I reverence. No other refuge do I seek, the Dhamma is my true refuge. By this Truth: May peaceful victory be mine! I revere with my head this triple Dhamma of the three supreme qualities: Morality, Concentration and Understanding... If I have wronged the Dhamma: May the Dhamma bear with me. Until life’s end to the Dhamma I go for refuge. Freed from lust, cleared of craving, sorrow-free: An absolute Law, gracious, gratifying and satisfying, sweet, potent, profound, an analytic science... To this very Dhamma I go for refuge!
Homage to that Great Sangha Community of the Eight Noble persons. The Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the good way; the straight way; the true way ; on the direct way, that is to say: the 4 pairs of men, the 8 types of persons. This Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is fit for gifts, fit for hospitality, fit for offerings, and fit for reverential salutation with joined palms, as an incomparable field of merit in the world. Forever do I reverence: The Sanghas of the past ages, those of the times to come, and the Sanghas of the present time. No other refuge do I seek. The Sangha is my true refuge. By this very Truth: May peaceful victory be mine! I revere with my head this peerless Sangha. If I have wronged this Sangha: May the Sangha bear with me. Until life’s end, to the Sangha I go for refuge. Whatever is given to the four pure pairs of persons and these eight kind of people, who have realized the Truth, this bears great fruit...! To this very Sangha I go for refuge!
Source: BPS Wheel no 54 (Edited Excerpt): The Mirror of the Dhamma. A Manual of Buddhist Devotional Texts. By Narada Thera and Bhikkhu Kassapa. Revised By Bhikkhu Khantipalo: http://www.bps.lk/wh054-u.html
The Blessed Buddha once said: Just as the mighty Himalayan mountains Are high, all-expansive, & weighing heavily; Just so do ageing & death suppress & defeat All living beings in this world, whether divine, rich, warrior, priest, trader, slave, or sweeper! Not sparing anyone whatsoever, Crushing anybody that is found! Source: SN 3:25
The Most Precious Altar of our Temple: Soon this fragile body will fall to the ground, lifeless, cast aside, without any consciousness, stiff, cold & useless like a rotten log of wood ... Dhammapada 41
Momentary Whosoever knows this body to be as temporary as a bubble, as insubstantial as a mirror image, May break Mara's honey tipped arrows and Can thus not be seen by this evil King of Death ... Dhammapada 46
Big Surprise! Death carries off the folly man while distracted by gathering various flowers of sensual pleasure, even & exactly so as the huge tsunami wave runs all over and carries away the sleeping village. Dhammapada 47
In the ultimate sense, beings have only a very short moment to live: Only as long as one single moment of consciousness lasts! Just as the cart wheel, in rolling forward as in standing still, every time rests merely on one point of its rim: just so does any life of any being last only as long as a single moment of consciousness lasts! As soon as this moment is gone, that momentary being is also all gone... One is therefore reborn millions of times in each second! For as it was said by the ancient elders: All life and all existence here is blinking & momentary, All life's engaged involvement, its joy and all its pain, Depends all only on one single discrete state of mind, And quickly that moment passes by, for never to return... Source: Visuddhimagga VIII,1
Question: >I've often seen you translate karuna as "pity," but isn't pity actually the near enemy of karuna?
Answer: Friend your good question exemplifies a common misconception and non-recognition of a mixed state…Since it depends how you define and thus understand “Pity” as a mixed state, or in itself as a pure state!
In itself Pure Pity = Karunâ is defined as: Pity originally means ‘feeling for and of other’s pain’, or "sympathy" and "empathy". However only IF mixed with egoism it gets more unsympathetic connotations of feeling of “own” superiority based on conscious or even unconscious lack of respect of the sufferer's dignity, who is now seen as “inferior”. However this Evil does not come from pity itself, which is a pure compassion for the plight of the sufferer, but to the often unseen and overlooked aspect of mixed-in impurities of the EGO-conceit “I am Better”! Since for to say or think, even subconsciously, “I am Better” there just have to be present the mistaken belief in a non-existent Ego = The conceit that “I am” = asmi-mâna... Needless to say has this arrogant & pride-pumped “I”-dentification & “self”-deception nothing whatsoever to do with fellow feelings for another being’s suffering, though it can often subconsciously be mixed with it and thus polluting this in itself advantageous & good pure pity.
Moreover regarding karuna especially as "Buddhist Pity": There is no “sorrow” or “sadness” in this state as it is based on understanding of cause and effect. From the Visuddhimagga: http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf “One whose meditation subject is pity should arouse compassion for any [evil-doing] person even if he now is happy: “Though this poor wretch is now happy, cheerful, enjoying his wealth, still for want of even one single good deed done now in by any of the 3 doors of intentional behaviour he will come to experience untold future suffering in the states of loss.”
Cut short: A Noble Person feels empathy and pity for any being in Samsara due to understanding of the inherent dangers in that Samsaric trap for anyone without understanding of the 4 Noble Truths, but he does not feel sorrow or sadness on that account! If he did, then Pity (Karuna or Compassion) would not be an advantageous (kusala) mental state promoting Happiness, which is the sole purpose in the first place!
The Blessed Buddha once said: And what, Bhikkhus, is the Joy not of this world? Aloof and above any lust, quite secluded from any sense desire, protected from any disadvantageous mental state, one enters & dwells in the 1st jhana mental absorption; full of joy & pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed & sustained thought... With the stilling of directed & sustained thought, one later enters & dwells in the 2nd jhana of calmed assurance & unification of mind devoid of any thought & thinking, joined with joy & pleasure now born of concentration! These are called the joys not of this world! And what, Bhikkhus, is the joy beyond that joy, which is not of this world? When a bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his mind liberated from lust, freed from hatred, and released from confusion, there arises a transcendental joy. This is called Joy quite beyond that joy, that is not of this world...
Some children can remember exact & verifiable details of their prior life they never could have come to know in this their current child life. These details can be objectively and independently confirmed. Remarkably & quite biologically enigmatic: Some of them have birth marks and birth defects at very same locations as the lethal injury causing their often abrupt and violent past life death. Eg. Born with 5 missing fingers after a prior life accident where they were cut off... Birthmarks at the exact location where they got gunshot wounds in their prior life, which could be confirmed from the autopsy report of their deceased individuality. Furthermore: Some can speak a language they never have learnt in this life (xenoglossy) corresponding to their past life language & nationality. They can in some cases remember names of siblings and other family members in their past life family who they never have met in this life...
An evaluation of his rebirth research is here: Evidence in Ian Stevenson's Research by Robert Almeder
Follow up on this ground-breaking reincarnation research by Dr. Jim Tucker:
Selected Ian Stevenson Bibliography: (1974). Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (second revised and enlarged edition). University of Virginia Press. (1974). Xenoglossy: A Review and Report of A Case. University of Virginia Press. (1975). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. I: Ten Cases in India. University of Virginia Press. (1978). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. II: Ten Cases in Sri Lanka. University of Virginia Press. (1980). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. III: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey. University of Virginia Press. (1983). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. IV: Twelve Cases in Thailand and Burma. University of Virginia Press. (1984). Unlearned Language: New Studies in Xenoglossy. University of Virginia Press. (1997). Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects. Volume 1: Birthmarks. Volume 2: Birth Defects and Other Anomalies. Praeger Publishers. (1997). Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect. Praeger Publishers (a short, non-technical version of Reincarnation and Biology). (2000). Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation (revised edition). (2003). European Cases of the Reincarnation Type. McFarland & Company.
Summarized in the recent: Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson http://www.amazon.com/Science-Self-Survival-after-Death/dp/1442221143 https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442221147 by his colleague, Emily Williams Kelly: Ian Stevenson was a prominent and internationally-known psychiatrist, researcher, prolific author, and well-regarded figure in the field of psychical research. Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson is the first book devoted to surveying the entirety of his work and the extraordinary scope and variety of his research. He studied universal questions that cut to the core of a person’s identity: What is consciousness? How did we become the unique individuals that we are? Do we survive in some form after death? Stevenson’s writings on the nature of science and the mind-body relationship, as well as his empirical research, demonstrate his strongly held belief that the methods of science can be applied successfully to such humanly vital questions. Featuring a selection of his papers and excerpts from his books, this collection presents the larger context of Stevenson’s work and illustrates the issues and questions that guided him throughout his career. Our esteemed colleague, Emily Williams Kelly, is the editor of this collection of Dr. Stevenson's writing.
The Buddha said on the need for Bliss: Friends, for the virtuous one, correctly behaving, completed in morality, there is no need to wish: “May I enjoy a clear conscience”, since the right action, of correct behaviour completed by purifying morality, naturally results in the arising of a clear conscience. Friends, for the moral one of clear conscience, there is no need to wish: “May gladness pervade me”, since any clear conscience spontaneously is followed by the appearance of joyous gladness! Friends, for the glad one there is no need to wish: “May rapture thrill me”, since gladness automatically excites exalted rapture. Friends, for the enraptured one there is no need to wish: “May calm tranquillity still me”, since rapture inherently simply evaporates all urge and frustrated restlessness. Friends, for one dwelling in serene tranquillity there is no need to wish: “May pleasure perfuse me”, since abiding calmly in tranquil ease all by itself, makes one delight in pleasure. Friends, for one perfused by pleasure there is no need to wish: “May I be absorbed in concentration”, since a mind filled with pleasure effortlessly & smoothly condenses into a single focused unification! Friends, for one concentrated there is no need to wish: “May I understand reality as it actually develops”, since the undistracted concentrated mind efficiently penetrates phenomena & causes as they really are. Friends, for one knowing & seeing reality there is no need to wish: “May disgusted disillusion detach me”, since seeing reality & knowing how it always becomes, induces detachment by disgusted disillusion. Friends, for one detached by disillusion there is no need to wish: “May I realize final mental release through absolute knowledge & vision”, since such disgusted disillusion, friends, naturally, readily, easily, essentially & characteristically culminates in the matchless, unsurpassable & supreme releasing liberation by complete knowledge & vision. Yeah, so mighty is morality!
May I be happy, may I sustain my happiness by living without trace of enmity. May all beings be happy & successful: May they be of full of joy, all beings that breathe & have life, whether they are weak or strong, tiny or huge, visible or invisible, near or far away, born or to be born, let all beings enjoy safety, content ease and a serene bliss! Let no one deceive another, let no one be harsh in speech, let no one by anger or hatred wish bad for his neighbour. Even as a mother, at the risk of her life, guards and protects her only child, so with a boundless heart of compassion, I venerate all living beings by permeating this entire universe with sympathy, above, beneath and all around, without limit, immeasurable and endless! In this very fine way I cultivate an infinite goodwill toward this whole world. Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all my waking hours I will always treasure and dwell in this thought, knowing that this way of caring is the most Noble in this entire universe! Thus shall I, by stilling pointless discussions and controversies, and by acting blamelessly, be gifted with tranquillity and true insight into what is profound. Thus shall I subdue the urge for sense-pleasure, and never again know rebirth. May this also inspire and thereby cause all other sentient beings to fulfil the conditions leading swiftly to Nibbana, which is the only lasting happiness! May all sentient beings be thus liberated & fully released from all suffering. May all sentient beings thus escape the dangers of ageing, disease, & death. Friendliness is the Greatest! Yeah... :-)
The blessed Buddha once said: Contentment is the Highest Treasure! Dhammapada 204
Solitude is happiness for one who is content, Who understands & clearly sees the Dhamma. Udana 10
What is the proximate cause of contentment? Mutual joy with others success is the proximate cause of contentment... Therefore: If one is always gladdened by other's success, one will always be content! Therefore: If one is never gladdened by other's success, one will always be discontent! Therefore is contentment caused by an altruistic mental state & not by external richness... Example: Rich people possessing all the things they ever desired, can still be very discontent! And vice versa: Poor people not having much, can still be very content and very much smiling!
The Buddha once asked: How, Bhikkhus and friends, is there non-control? Seeing a form with the eye, one becomes attracted by the pleasing form, while repelled by the displeasing form. Having heard a sound with the ear, one becomes attracted by the charming sound, while repulsed by a horrid sound. Having sniffed a smell with the nose, one becomes attracted by the lovely smell, while repelled by a detestable smell. Having tasted a flavour with the tongue, one becomes attracted by the liked taste, while repelled by a disliked taste. Feeling a touch with the body, one becomes attracted by the pleasant touch, while repelled by any unpleasant touch. When one experiences a mental phenomenon with the mind, one becomes attracted by the agreeable mental phenomenon, while repelled by any disagreeable mental phenomenon. In this uncontrolled way does such mind live without having established Awareness of the body, & confined by a limited mind! Therefore does such one neither understand, nor experience that release of mind, that mental liberation through understanding, wherein those evil detrimental states cease without remaining trace. In exactly this way is there non-control!
Comments: The limited & finite mind is a mind not made infinite by the praxis of the 4 sublime or 'divine abodes' (brahma-vihara), also called the four infinite mental states (appamañña), which are:
When sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes: May I radiate and meet only never-ending and mutually rejoicing joy! May I & all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find only celebration and elation in a never-ending mutually rejoicing joy! May I & all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane develop and encounter this generous, infinite and mutually rejoicing joy! May I & all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left, and below as above, develop and experience openhearted, sharing, & mutually rejoicing joy! May I and all beings within this city, country, planet and universe always: Be fully aware and deeply mindful of this content and mutually rejoicing joy! Examine all details & aspects of this satisfied and mutually rejoicing joy! Put enthusiastic effort in our praxis of this devoted mutually rejoicing joy! Enjoy enraptured jubilant gladness in this exulting mutually rejoicing joy! Be silenced by the tranquillity of quiet and all smiling mutually rejoicing joy! Be concentrated & absorbed into one-pointedness by genuine rejoicing joy! Dwell in an imperturbable equanimity of pure and mutually rejoicing joy... Yeah! May it be even so, since mutual joy causes the jewel of contentment!
Comment: Mutual Joy is the 3rd infinite mental state (Appamañña): This gradually reduces all envy, jealousy, possessiveness, stinginess, avarice miserliness, green covetousness and unhappiness related with all these states. The cause of Mutual Joy in rejoicing in your child's or boon companion's success. This same joy can then be beamed towards all liked, neutral and hostile beings. Mutual Joy is then the proximate cause of satisfied and fulfilled Contentment... Lack of mutual joy is thus the proximate cause of dissatisfied discontentment... Joined with the 7 links to Awakening it will later cause a formless jhana... Be happy at all and especially other being's success! Then calm comfort grows!
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, just as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence on feeding & cannot survive without food, even so are the 7 Links to Awakening also sustained by feeding, they also can only exist in dependence on feeding and they cannot survive without feeding... And what, bhikkhus, is the feeding of the emergence of any yet unarisen joy and also feeding of the completion by increase of any already arisen joy? There are mental states that are the originator, maker, producer, root, basis & source for the awakening of joy! Frequently giving careful & rational attention to them, is feeding the arising and gradual fulfillment of joy... And what is the starving that obstructs the emergence of any yet unarisen joy and which also hinders any already arisen joy from reaching sweet fulfillment by development? There are states that are the basis & source for the joy link to awakening! Not giving frequent careful and rational attention to them; not considering them much & often; is the starving that prevents any unarisen joy from arising and also blocks any already arisen joy from reaching any complete fulfillment by mental meditative training...
Comments from the classical commentaries: Elated & ecstatic exultation is the characteristic of the Joy Link to Awakening (Piti-sambojjhanga). Motivated intentness upon is the purpose of the quality of Joy. Satisfaction lifting any depression is the manifestation of the Joy Link to Awakening. Thinking of Joy makes this state return! This can be utilized by training it! Try now! This reinforcement - in itself - has the capacity to gradually elevate and induce Joy! Therefore is the state of gladness & Joy itself mainspring, basis & source of more Joy… It is the deliberate directing attention to this, again & again, that can produce Joy!!!
Further conditions helpful for arising of the Joy Link to Awakening are: 1: Recollection of the supreme and sublime uniqueness of the Buddha... 2: Recollection of the supreme and sublime uniqueness of the Dhamma... 3: Recollection of the supreme and sublime uniqueness of the Sangha... 4: Recollection of the supreme and sublime efficacy of pure Morality... 5: Recollection of the supreme and sublime efficacy of prior Generosity… 6: Recollection of the qualities that gave the devas their divinity... 7: Remembering the stilled silent state of blissful Peace... 8: Avoidance of primitive, violent, angry, rough, and coarse people. 9: Friendship with refined & kind people, who often smile in silent ease. 10: Reviewing by reading many inspiring dhamma discourses like this one. 11: Commitment & resolute determination to elevate the mind by Joy...
There is joy joined with thinking and there is joy separated from thinking! Both leads to enraptured advance towards many advantageous states. Awakening is a veritable flood of bliss!
Beach-Landing-Planes: Tracking a real Rebirth! A Scottish child can remember his prior life on a remote island Barra in a white, single-story, & ocean-near house with a highly unusual and pin-pointing specific view: Planes landing directly on the beach! The boy could never have come to know this exceptional aviation detail in advance in this his present life, nor the exact name of this island. He also correctly identifies his past life family name. This documentary follows the tracking of his rebirth details by Dr. Jim Tucker.
The extraordinary is a rare & unusual, but not unreal event!
REBIRTH VIDEOS: BBC Documentary on Remembered Previous Lives Reincarnation Evidence in Ian Stevenson's Research by Robert Almeder Scientific Reincarnation Evidence by Dr Ian Stevenson Scientific Rebirth Research: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/reincarnation01.html BBC documentary on Near Death Experiences: Near-Death Experiences on the Intensive Care Unit Reincarnation research by Ian Stevenson Children's past life memories: Scientific Evidence of Rebirth by Dr Jim Tucker: The Cardiologist on the Near-Death Experience 1 The Cardiologist on the Near-Death Experience 2 Near-Death Website: http://near-death.com/
CONTENT WHEN UNDERSTANDING Solitude is happiness for one, who is content, Who sees and clearly understands this Dhamma. Harmlessness is happiness in all worlds, Kindness towards all living beings. :-) Udana 10
IDEAL SOLITUDE Avoid going along with fools. Should one fail to find any one, who is better or equal as a good companion, then one should continue this journey all alone. Since there can be no friendship with fools... Dhammapada 61
SWEET & NOT LONELY The one who has tasted the sweetness of solitude in cooled calm, such one fears not, and wrongdo not, since so indeed is the sweet joy of true Dhamma! Dhammapada 205
SOLITUDE AS NECESSITY If one cannot find a clever companion, upright, straight and determined, then walk alone like a king leaving the kingdom, like an Elephant freely roam in all the forest... Dhammapada 329
SOLITARY FREEDOM Life in solitude is better than friendship with the fool. Let the one live alone, acting only right, freed from greed, Like the Bull Elephant freely roam in all the forest. Dhammapada 330
THE MASTER Mastering the hands. Mastering the feet. Mastering the speech. Mastering the thoughts. Highest Master of Mind; Concentrated and composed, Calm and content in secluded solitude, Such one is indeed rightly called a Bhikkhu ... Dhammapada 362
Comments: Be realistic! If one cannot be in company with one-self, then something must be wrong! Any form of company will dissolve, since all meetings end in separation... The ever socializing parrot-like personality cannot ever end suffering! Only dead fish float with the stream!
At Savatthi. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Radha said to the Blessed One: Venerable sir, it is said, 'suffering, suffering', What now, venerable sir, is suffering? Radha, all form is suffering, all feeling is suffering, all perception is suffering, all intentional mental formation is suffering, and consciousness itself is suffering. Understanding this, Bhikkhu, a well instructed Noble Disciple experiences disgust towards any form, disgust towards any feeling, disgust towards any perception, disgust towards any mental construction, & disgust towards consciousness itself! Experiencing disgust, he becomes disillusioned! Through this disillusion his mind is released. When mind is released, one instantly knows: This mind is liberated, and one understands: Extinguished is rebirth, this Noble Life is all completed, done is what should be done, there is no state of being beyond this...
Comments: These 5 clusters of clinging are what denotes both the internal 'individual' and the 'external' real world. However as they continually change, no same internal 'self'= identity or external 'substance'= reality can ever be found! Since always changing they are always lost and therefore are they always ultimately speaking suffering! An inner mental prison of craving for something inevitably, unambiguously & spontaneously vanishing! A fever of folly obsession…
These Eight Aspects of Feeling should be Understood!!!
A certain Bhikkhu once asked the Blessed Buddha: Venerable Sir, 1: What is feeling? 2: What is the cause of feeling? 3: What is the way to emergence of feeling? 4: What is the ceasing of feeling? 5: What is the way to cease feeling? 6: What is the satisfaction in feeling? 7: What is the danger in feeling? 8: What is the escape from feeling?
The Blessed Buddha answered: There are, Bhikkhu, three feelings: 1: The 3 feelings are pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neutral feeling. 2: Sense contact is the proximate cause of all feeling... 3: Craving is the way leading to the emergence of feeling... 4: The end of sense contact, ceases all feeling instantly... 5: This Noble Eightfold Way is the way to cease feeling... 6: The delight and joy of feeling: This is the satisfaction within feeling... 7: The danger in feeling is its transience, & inherent change into suffering. 8: The escape from feeling is the elimination of desire and lust for feeling.
Comment: Running after pleasurable feeling like mad robots, beings come to pain & death ever again... Wanting short-term pleasure one gains long-term pain! This is an unnecessarily heavy price, when there actually is an alternative of lasting happiness called Nibbana. It is thus quite well worth the effort to give up all emotional and sensorial addiction and obsession. Only then can one ever be completely free, truly happy and dwell in peace :-) Yeah!
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, there are these 5 abilities. What five? 1: The Ability of Faith. 2: The Ability of Energy. 3: The Ability of Awareness. 4: The Ability of Concentration. 5: The Ability of Understanding. When these 5 abilities have been developed & cultivated, then seven supreme fruits and excellent benefits may be expected! What are these seven fruits and advantageous benefits? 1: One attains final knowledge early in this very life. If not then; 2: One attains final knowledge at the time of death. If not then; 3: One having cut the 5 lower chains attains Nibbana in between; 4: One attains Nibbana upon landing in the pure abodes. If not then; 5: One attains Nibbana in the pure abodes without effort. If not then; 6: One attains Nibbana in the pure abodes with some effort. If not then; 7: One is bound Upstream, heading towards the Akanittha realm. When, Bhikkhus, these five mental abilities have been developed and cultivated, these seven sublime fruits and benefits may be expected.
The Sakyan Mahanama once asked the Blessed Buddha: Venerable Sir, What is a Lay Disciple? Having taken refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha, one is a Lay Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Pure Disciple? Avoiding all killing, stealing, sexual abuse, lying, and neither drinking any alcohol nor taking any drugs causing neglect, one is a Pure Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Faithful Disciple? Placing faith in the Enlightenment of the Tathagata thus: Worthy, honourable & perfectly self-Enlightened is the Buddha! ... teacher & guide of gods and humans, exalted, & awakened ... one is a Faithful Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Generous Disciple? Living mentally devoid stinginess, liberal, open-handed, delighting in donation, devoted to charity, enjoying all giving & sharing, one is a Generous Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Disciple who Understands? One who understands the cause of arising & ceasing, which is Noble, decisive, & which enables eradication of Suffering is a wise Disciple who Understands!
The Buddha Gotama's first five disciples (Pañcavaggiya)
Source (edited extract): The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:395] Section 55 on Stream-Entry: Sotapattisamyutta. Thread 37: Mahanama.
Friends, we should train in this very way: I will not cling to neither the eye, nor to the ear, nor to the nose, nor to the tongue, nor to the body, nor to the mind... Thus will my consciousness neither depend on awareness of any sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, nor any mental states... Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any visual contact, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, or any mental contact... Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any feeling aroused from all these visual, otherwise sensed or ... mental contacts... Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any form, emotion, perception, construction, or any deliberately directed attention! Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any solidity, fluidity, heat, motion, space, nor on any sort of mentality whatsoever... Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any infinitude of space, any infinitude of consciousness, any sphere of nothingness, any sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor on any other subtle state... Thus will my consciousness neither depend on anything in this world, nor on anything in any other transcendent world beyond this world… Thus will my consciousness be independent of what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, encountered, searched for & examined by the mind... It will be without base, source, & object, unconnected, unconstrained, unrelated, autonomous, fully freed, sovereign, sublime and supreme… This -only this- itself leads to the released liberation of final freedom!!!
Navam Poya day is the full-moon of February. This holy day celebrates the ordination of the Buddha Gotama's main disciples Sariputta and MahaMoggallana. On this day Buddha also later decides his Parinibbana.
The death moment of the Buddha, where he enters Nibbana (Sanskrit Nirvana)...!
On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days: Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines in a loud, calm & steady voice: As long as this life lasts: I hereby take refuge in the Buddha. I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma. I hereby take refuge in the Sangha. I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time. I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time. I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time. I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time. I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time. I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time. I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!
I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules: I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty. I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs. As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...
Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to this world! So is the start towards Nibbana: The Deathless Element! This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness, initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and fulfilled by training of Meditation...
Today indeed is Pooya or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha, they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!
Interdependence of Mentality and Materiality; of the dual Name-and-Form: Mentality alone has no efficient power, it cannot eat, drink, speak, nor walk... Materiality alone is also without sufficient power, since it cannot do anything without orders and drive: It has neither desire to eat, drink, speak, nor walk... When materiality and mentality are joined together, these two twins can act: When mentality (mind) has a desire to eat, a desire to drink, a desire to speak, or a desire to walk, it is materiality (body) that eats, drinks, speaks & walks!
Mentality and Materiality, Mind & Matter are Inseparable!
Therefore did the Ancient Elders say: The mental and the material does really exist, But here there is no 'human being' to be found, For it is void and merely fashioned like a doll! Just suffering piled up like grass and sticks... The mental and the material: Name-and-Form Are Siamese Twins, that each supports the other: When one dies, they both die, surely inseparable, Due to the necessary mutual dependence... They cannot come to be by their own strength, Or even maintain themselves by their own power Depending on other states, weak in themselves, Conditioned and constructed, they come to be; They come to be, with others as crucial requirement. They are activated by others as if their controller, They are thus produced by object and condition, And each by something other, than itself... And just as men depend upon A boat for traversing the sea, So does the mental mind need the material body for real efficiency. And as the boat depends upon The men for traversing the sea, So does the material body need the mental mind for induction & control. Depending each upon the other. The boat and men can sail the seas. And so do both mind and matter Depend, the one, upon the other... Vism 597
There are two principal kinds of mental development: 1: Development of mental tranquillity and calm (samatha-bhavana) culminating in the development of concentration (samadhi-bhavana) And! 2: Development of insight (vipassana-bhavana) culminating in the development of understanding (pañña-bhavana). Both qualities: Calm and Insight, are essential & crucial for release! Tranquil Calm (samatha) is the pleasant, peaceful, yet lucid state of a settled mind acquired as a preliminary to meditative absorption. It blesses the meditator with 3 things: Happy life, happy rebirth, & a mental purity suitable for gaining progressive penetrating insight! Concentration is a necessary prerequisite for such cutting insight.. Why so? It removes distractions that veil the investigating vision! Insight is that which leads to entrance of the 4 stages of Nobility.. Why so? It irreversibly removes gross & latent mental hindrances! The term samadhi literally means ~being firmly put evenly together (sam + a+ dha) & is mental state focused on only one single object= cittassaekaggata, which literally means ~ one-pointedness of mind. Any state of consciousness has a degree of mental concentration! One may distinguish these four stages or levels of concentration: 1: Momentary or transient concentration (khanika-samadhi), 2: Preliminary or preparing concentration (parikamma-samadhi), 3: Access or approaching concentration (upacara-samadhi), 4: Absorption or attainment concentration (appana-samadhi). Insight (vipassana) is the penetrative understanding, gained by only direct meditative experience of the inherent transience, misery, & selflessness (anicca, dukkha, anatta) of all physical & mental states of existence all included in these 5 clusters (khandha) of clinging: form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness. Bhavana is derived from the causative form of the verbal root bhu, bhavati = to be, to become, causing to be, making come into being, the calling into existence of, the production of or development of. When applied to Mental Training this simply means Meditation...
Simultaneous Calm and Insight! Photo: The Kawasakis
The Blessed Buddha once said: And what, Bhikkhus, is the Joy not of this world? Aloof and above any lust, quite secluded from any sense desire, protected from any disadvantageous mental state, one enters & dwells in the 1st jhana mental absorption; full of joy & pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed & sustained thought... With the stilling of directed & sustained thought, one later enters & dwells in the 2nd jhana of calmed assurance & unification of mind devoid of any thought & thinking, joined with joy & pleasure now born of concentration! These are called the joys not of this world! And what, Bhikkhus, is the joy beyond that joy, which is not of this world? When a bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his mind liberated from lust, freed from hatred, and released from confusion, there arises a transcendental joy. This is called Joy quite beyond that joy, that is not of this world...
These 7 States are Focused on one single object: Nibbâna!
The Awareness Link to Awakening is foremost, in the sense of rolling overall like a wheel. The Investigation Link to Awakening is the chief, in the sense of greatness like an elephant. The Energy Link to Awakening is the prime, in the sense of being swift & strong like a horse. The Joy Link to Awakening is vital, in the sense of giving brilliant radiance like a jewel. The Tranquillity Link to Awakening, is primary in the sense of soothing like a mild woman. The Concentration Link to Awakening, is best in the sense of giving wealth like a treasurer. The Equanimity Link to Awakening is supreme, in the sense of ballance like a good advisor. These seven links to awakening are thus like the 7 treasures of a wheel-turning monarch. They awaken beings into the state of entering the stream leading to the deathless Nibbana. They further awaken beings into the state of returning here as human only one more time. They furthermore awaken beings into the state of never returning here as human again. They finally fully awaken beings into the state of Arahatship by complete Enlightenment! When these seven states coincide simultaneously; fused into the same assemblage; all being joined focused on only one single and same object: Nibbana, then Awakening occurs... This 7-fold supreme culmination is the final Enlightenment!!! Yeah...
Awakening is 7 mental qualities focused on 1 single object...
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this: Bhikkhus, for any clansman who has gone forth out of faith in my teaching, to do this, is in perfect accordance with the supreme Dhamma: He should dwell contemplating the impermanence inherent in any form... He should dwell contemplating the suffering inherent in any form... He should dwell contemplating the impersonality inherent in any form... He should dwell absorbed in disgusting any form, in disgusting any feeling, in disgusting any perception, in disgusting any construction, & in disgusting any form of consciousness! One who dwells immersed in revulsion towards any form, revulsion towards any feeling, revulsion towards any perception, revulsion towards any mental construction, and revulsion towards any kind of consciousness fully understands all form, all feeling, all perception, all mental construction, and all states of consciousness! One who fully understands form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness is freed from form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness! I tell you: He is even freed from birth, ageing, & death! Freed from all sorrow, weeping, pain, discontent, and desperate despair! I tell you: He is freed from all Suffering...
Yet not pleasant disgust liberates mind by diminishing craving.
The Buddha said about BLAME: This, Atula, is an ancient saying, yet timeless and thus relevant even today: They blame the one, who talks much. They blame the one, who says little. They even blame the silent one... No one in this world is never blamed! Dhammapada 227
FACT There never was, nor will there ever be, nor does there exist one now, who is only praised or only blamed .... Dhammapada 228
PRAISED The one examined carefully by the wise, yet still praised as peerless, wise, learned and genuinely good, like a ring of refined gold, who can ever rightly blame such one? Even the divine and Brahma praise such one! Dhammapada 229-30
Comments: The Buddha once asked his students, "And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech." -SN 45.8
He also taught: "Monks, a statement endowed with five factors is well-spoken, not ill-spoken. It is blameless & faultless by knowledgeable people. Which five? It is spoken at the right time. It is truth. It is kind. It is advantageous. And it is spoken with a mind of good-will." -AN 5.198
In addition to right speech, the Exalted Master taught us to develop other skilful qualities of intention, thoughts, words, and actions, in order to become peerless, wise, learned, good, blameless, and praised. These are right view, right motivation, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration. Practicing in this way, we not only acquire peace for ourselves, through admiration, we also improve society, and our reputation...
Other skilful qualities we can develop are present moment awareness, conviction, persistence, understanding, and analysis as well as kind metta, compassion, truly altruistic joy, equanimity, generosity, virtue, and patience. The development, prolonging and maintenance of these skilful states of mind not only benefit ourselves, they expand outward, like sweet rings in water!
Friends, the first consideration is: Whatever Suffering arises, all this Suffering does so caused by Feeling! Another consequent consideration is: By ending all Feeling, there cannot therefore ever arise any Suffering!
Repeatedly seeing both pleasant, painful & neutral feeling all fade away, and instantly vanish in each moment, one is freed for passion for feeling! By quenching craving for feeling one becomes all cool & quite calmed... Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this life, or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner... Those who neglect understanding Feeling, the origin of Feeling, the End of Feeling, & how Feeling is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thus incapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end... They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death ever again... While those who undertake understanding of Feeling, Origin, End & Way, are quite capable of mental release by understanding, & capable of making an end... They are near the deathless dimension!
If friendship between animal beings can cross even remote species borders, so can and should we humans also make our kind friendship extend beyond any national, religious, cultural, gender, educational, job, and age border! Only in this very good way, can we establish a society, where we can sleep with the doors open, and dance with the children in our arms. So be it :-)
May all creatures, all breathing things, all beings one and all, without exception, experience good fortune only. May they not fall into any harm. Anguttara Nikaya II, 72
With good will for the entire cosmos, cultivate a limitless heart & mind: Beaming above, below, & all around, unobstructed, without trace of hostility. Sutta Nipata I, 8
For one who deliberately & aware develops Universal Friendliness Seeing the fading away of clinging, All chains are worn down & broken. Itivuttaka 27
Let no one deceive another or despise anyone anywhere, or through anger or irritation wish for another to suffer. Sutta Nipata I, 8
I am a friend of the footless, I am a friend of all bipeds; I am a friend of those with four feet, I am a friend of the many-footed! Anguttara Nikaya 4.67
As I am, so are others... As others are, so am I... Having thus identified self and others, Never Harm anyone, nor have any abused. Sutta Nipata 3.710
Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived in the jungle. No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone. Uplifted by such universal friendliness, I enjoyed the forest. Finding great solace in such sweetly silenced solitude… Suvanna-sama Jataka 540
Train yourself in doing good that lasts and brings happiness. Cultivate generosity, the life of peace, and a mind of infinite universal love. Itivuttaka 22
The 9th mental Perfection is Friendliness (Metta): Just as water refreshes and cleanses both just and unjust persons without discrimination, so does the perfection of friendliness include both friends and foes alike, and doesn't enact any distinction, favouritism, or partiality.
Comments
The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:
The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, this Suffering is caused by Acquisition!
Another consequent & subsequent consideration is therefore:
Stopping all Acquisition of Fuel, stops all arising of Suffering!
Taking up many acquisitions, clinging to possessions & thereby accumulating
fuel for renewed becoming, the fool comes to Suffering ever again & again!
Letting go, renouncing, & leaving all behind, the wise goes scot free at ease!
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one
may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this very life,
or if there is remaining traces of Clinging left, the state of non-return...
Those who neglect analysis & understanding of Clinging, the origin of Clinging,
the end of Clinging, and how Clinging is completely & irreversibly eliminated,
are incapable of release by understanding, are incapable of mental release,
are incapable of direct knowledge, & thus incapable of making an end...
They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again & again...
While those who undertake understanding of Clinging, Origin, End & Way,
are indeed capable of mental release by understanding, direct knowledge,
& thus capable of making an end... They are headed towards the deathless!
Acquisition...
More on Acquisition due to Clinging here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Acquisition_of_Fuel.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4_kinds_of_Clinging.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_5_Clusters_of_Clinging.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_are_the_5_Clusters_of_Clinging.htm
Clinging...
Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipata 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipata/index.html
No Acquisition = No Clinging = No Panic...
Any Acquisition is an Accumulation of Suffering!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_2.htm
The Twin Truths won by Dual Consideration:
The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first clever consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, this Suffering is caused by Ignorance!
Another consequent and subsequent consideration is:
Clearing all Ignorance by Understanding, stops all arising of any Suffering!
This immensely long round of rebirth with transition from now this, then to that form,
is caused by this dreadfully deep Ignorance alone! Those who really understand this,
do not renew any return into any form of being...
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one may either
enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this very life, or if there is remaining
traces of Clinging left, win the state of non-return...
Those who neglect understanding of Ignorance, the origin of Ignorance, the End of
Ignorance, and how Ignorance is completely eliminated, are incapable of release by
Understanding, are incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge,
and are thereby incapable of making an end...
They will therefore repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again...
While those who do undertake understanding of Ignorance, Origin, End & Way,
are indeed capable of mental release by understanding, direct absolute knowledge,
and thus capable of making an end... They are thus headed towards the deathless!
Ignorance is Not Knowing the 4 Noble Truths!
More on this Deepest Root of all Evil: Ignorance:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Cause_of_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Causes_of_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Indifference_Creates_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_the_Cause_of_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Because_of_Not_Knowing.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Because_of_Not_Examining.htm
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/ignorance.html
Deeper than the eyes is the mental Blindness of Ignorance!
Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipata 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipata/index.html
Not Knowing the 4 Truths!
Ignorance is the Root of all Suffering...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_3.htm
Mutual Joy cures all vicious Envy and Jealousy!
The dear companion can be the proximate cause for Mutual Joy, where one
rejoices in another being's success... One thus rejoicing in others fortune
is called a 'boon companion', for he is constantly glad: He laughs first and
speaks afterward! So he should be the first to be pervaded with gladness.
Or on seeing a dear person being happy, cheerful and glad, mutual joy can
be aroused thus: 'See this being is indeed glad! How good, how excellent!'
Just as one would be glad at seeing a dear and beloved person very happy,
exactly so does one pervade all other beings in all directions with mutual joy...
Rejoicing mutual joy can also be aroused by remembering others happiness
in the past and recollecting the elated joy aspect in this way: 'In the past he
had great wealth, a great following and he was always glad'. Or mutual joy
can be aroused by apprehending the future glad aspect of his in this way:
'In the future he will again enjoy similar success and will go about in gold
palanquins, on the backs of elephants or on horseback'. Having thus aroused
mutual joy regarding a dear person, one can then direct the very same feeling
successively towards a neutral one, and gradually towards any hostile person.
Vbh 274, Vism I 316
Comments:
Mutual joy causes Contentment! No mutual joy thus means Discontentment!
Therefore: If being generally dissatisfied, then be happy over others gains.
Secondly: Mutual joy causes all envy & jealousy to evaporate into equanimity!
Mutual Joy (Mudita), which cures all envy and jealousy, is a divine state!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness.htm
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_ Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Rejoicing Joy!
Mutual Joy Causes Contentment! :-)
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Rejoicing_Joy.htm
The Twin Truths won by Dual Consideration:
The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, all that is caused by Mental Construction!
The consequent second consideration is:
Stilling of all Mental Construction thereby ceases all Suffering completely!
Knowing this danger: - All Suffering is caused by Mental Construction -,
by silencing all experience, sensation and feeling, the wise escape all Pain!
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically,
one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here and now in this life,
or if there is remaining traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner.
Those who neglect understanding of mental construction, the origin of
mental construction, the end of mental construction, and how mental
construction is eliminated, are incapable of release by understanding,
are incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and
are thereby incapable of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay,
sickness and death ever again... While those who undertake understanding
of mental construction, Origin, End and Way, indeed are capable of mental
release by understanding, sure certainty, and capable of making an end...
They are near the deathless dimension!
More on Mental Construction (Sankhara):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/DPPN/wtb/s_t/sankhaara.htm
Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipata 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipata/index.html
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=201818
The Twin Truths!
Mental Constructions and their Consequences...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_4.htm
The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:
The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, it does so caused by Consciousness!
Another consequent and subsequent consideration is:
By ending Consciousness , there cannot ever arise any Suffering!
Knowing this danger: All Suffering emerges due to Consciousness, and by
stopping consciousness, there cannot therefore ever be any pain!, any with
intelligence would quench his craving, and latent urge for being conscious...
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically,
one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here and now in this life,
or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...
Those who neglect the understanding of consciousness itself, the cause of
consciousness, the end of consciousness, & how consciousness is completely
eliminated, are incapable of release by understanding, are thus incapable
of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and are thereby also
incapable of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and
death ever again! While those who undertake understanding of Consciousness,
Origin, End & Way, are quite capable of mental release by understanding,
and capable of making an end... They are indeed near the deathless dimension!
On the early Buddhist definition of Consciousness (viññana):
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Momentary_Consciousness.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Consciousness.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/vinnaana.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/The_Selfless_Camera.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Consciousness.htm
Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipata 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipata/index.html
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=201818
Consciousness Causes Collapse...
Whatever Suffering arises, it does so caused by Consciousness!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_5.htm
Breakthrough to the Truths Safeguards Against Downfall Rebirth!
The Blessed Gotama Buddha once explained:
Bhikkhus and friends, see this little bit of dust, I have taken up upon the nail of my
little-finger? What do you think is most: This tiny bit of dust or this great Planet Earth?
The Bhikkhus then responded: Venerable Sir, this great Planet Earth is much, much more,
incomparably more. This speck of dust is trifling, microscopic, & negligible in comparison.
The Blessed Gotama Buddha then pointed out:
Similarly & exactly so too, Bhikkhus, those who are reborn among human beings are few
and quite rare, beings reborn elsewhere, lower, as non-humans are much more numerous
and common. Why is it so? Because, Bhikkhus, they have not seen the 4 Noble Truths!
What four?
1: This is Suffering;
2: Craving is the Cause of Suffering;
3: No Craving is the End of Suffering;
4: The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering.
Therefore, Bhikkhus and friends, exertion should be made right Now to understand:
All This is Suffering; This Greedy Craving is the sole Cause of all Suffering; No Craving is
the End of Suffering; The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering. Therefore should effort
to fathom these 4 Noble Truths be made right NOW!
Comments:
Animals are much more common than humans (trillions of billions of insects and fish),
since this rebirth at this level is much more common! Similarly with ghosts, demons,
and hell beings. Downfall to these states are common, because evil and immoral actions
such as Killing, Stealing, Lying, Sexually Abusing, Drinking and Drugging are common!
Ethics is thus the core factor of creation and conditioning of any future being...
Video illustrating life among humans, in heaven and in hell:
For details on this Round of Rebirths: Samsara see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/samsaara.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Samsaric_Round.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Endless_is_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Samsaric_Dread.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Endless_Round.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Samsara.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:465-6]
section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 61: The Downfall ...
Rare is Human Rebirth!
Breakthrough to the 4 Truths Safeguards Against Downfall Rebirth!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Rare_Rebirth.htm
The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:
The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, all does so caused by Contact!
Another consequent consideration is:
By stopping Contact, there cannot ever arise any Suffering!
The fool immerses himself in contact and suffers thereby, when it fades.
The wise by comprehending this inherent danger in any contact withdraw,
by quenching his urge for contacting ever changing imprints of sensation...
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically,
one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here and now in this life,
or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...
Those who neglect understanding of contact, the origin of contact, the end
of contact, and how contact is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of
release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thus
incapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end...
They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness and death ever again...
While those who undertake understanding of contact, Origin, End and Way,
are quite capable of mental release by understanding, and capable of making
an end... They are near the deathless dimension!
On Contact (Phassa):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Contact.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Diversity_of_Contacts.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/phassa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_6.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/In_Dependence_on_Contact.htm
Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipata 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipata/index.html
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=201818
Contact Clings...
Sense-contact causes craving and clinging!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_6.htm
If they can, so can U!
Wisdom grows from meditation. From no meditation wisdom fades. Knowing this relation between progress and decay any clever one would settle on the pure & practical way to growth of genuine understanding. Dhammapada 282
Meditation Manuals here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/anapanasati.pdf
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/Manual/Meditation.Manual.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/Main_Meditation_Manual.pdf
Harmful is all false speech, lying, pretending, deceiving, & misleading!
Once in Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this:
What, householder friends, is the Dhamma explanation befitting for oneself?
Here, householder friends, a Noble Disciple reflects thus: If someone were to
damage my welfare with false speech, lying, pretending, deceiving, & misleading,
that would neither be pleasing nor agreeable to me. Similarly, if I were speak
false to, lie to, pretend, deceive, and mislead another being, that would damage
that being's welfare & would neither be pleasing nor agreeable nor acceptable
to that other being either....
What is displeasing and disagreeable to me, is also displeasing and disagreeable
to any other being too. How can I harm & hurt another being with what provoke
annoy and exasperate myself? Having reflected repeatedly thus, then gradually:
1: He/she will carefully avoid all false speech, deception, and deceitfulness...
2: He/she will persuade others also to abstain from all false speech and lying...
3: He/she will praise speaking only honest, trustworthy, plain, straight Truth...
In this very way is this advantageous verbal behaviour purified in 3 respects!!
More on Not Deceiving & Right Speech (Samma Vaca):
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-vaca.html
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Truth_Triumphs.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Splitting.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Scolding.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Deceiving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Gossiping.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_is_Right_Speech.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Fourfold_Right_Speech.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Optimal_Observance_IV.htm
You can run away from your mistake, but not from your regret.
You can play with your drama, but not with your karma.
Theravada Buddhist Chaiteet Heng, Malaysia
One should never Harm other beings by Deceiving them with False Speech!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:354-5]
section 55: Sotapattisamyutta. Thread 7: To the people at the Bamboo gate...
Avoid all False Speech!
Deceiving Harms all Beings...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Deceiving.htm
Serene Equanimity promotes imperturbable Peace:
Equanimity just looks on and observes, while calmly settled in composed neutrality.
Equanimity is characterized as promoting the aspect of impartiality among beings.
Its function is to see the equality of all beings. It is manifested as the quieting of
both resentment and approval. Its proximate cause is seeing and comprehending
the ownership and efficacy of kamma thus: All beings are owners of their actions,
born, created and conditioned by the accumulated effect of their past intentions!
Whose, if not theirs, is the choice by which they have become happy, or unhappy,
or will break free from suffering, or have fallen down from their past good state?
Equanimity succeeds, when it makes both resentment and approval subside, and it
fails, when it instead produces a bored, indifferent, & careless state of negligence!
Vism I 318
Comments:
Non-involved and even Equanimity is a subtle form of happiness... By stabilization
it perfects and consummates all the other six links to awakening: Awareness,
Investigation, Energy, Joy and Concentration. Equanimity is the proximate cause
for knowing and seeing it, as it really is. Equanimity quenches any upset agitation!
When seeing and noting: 'All this is constructed, conditioned, coarse and transient!
But this state of serene equanimity is indeed exquisitely peaceful...', then instantly
ceases any arisen agreeable or nasty feeling, when Equanimity takes its stance
Power of Equanimity: Not much agitation, wavering or panic here!
Equanimity (Upekkha) is indeed a divine state and itself a link to Awakening!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Serene_Equanimity_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Imperturbable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Empty_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Even_is_Equanimity.htm
Have a nice serene day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_ Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Serene Equanimity...
Absence of Agitation means Zero Stress!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Serene_Equanimity.htm
Moderation when Eating is very Advantageous!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
How, Bhikkhus and friends, is material food to be considered?
Imagine, two persons, husband & wife, with only few provisions, are wandering
through a desert with their only child, their beloved and dear little son.
However in the middle of the desert, their food runs out! Then this husband and
wife think: Let us kill our only child, our loved dear little son, prepare dried flesh,
and thus while eating this cross the rest of the desert. But, while eating this flesh,
they beat their breasts, weeping and lamenting: Where is our own little son now?
Where is our only child? What do you think, Bhikkhus and friends: Do these two
people eat their food for amusement, or for pleasure, or to become beautiful?
No, Venerable Sir.
Do they eat this foul food, their only son's flesh only to escape the desert?
Indeed so, Venerable Sir.
Even and Exactly so, Bhikkhus and friends, should one regard all material food!
Once one has fully understood material food, one has also understood any kind
of greed for all five sense objects. Once one has fully understood the greed for
the 5 sense objects, then there exists no more any mental chain, bound by which
the Noble Disciple could ever return again to this world!
The simile of the Son's Flesh!
More on disabling the craving, urge, and greed for food:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Oozing_Out.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Food_Disgust.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 12:63
The Son's Flesch!
Constructive Disgust...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Sons_Flesch.htm
Dynamic Existence is Caused by What?
The Blessed Buddha has said:
Profound, Ananda, is this dependent origination, and profound does it appear.
It is through not understanding, not penetrating, this subtle law that this world
resembles a tangled ball of thread, a bird's nest, a thicket of grass or reed...
Any person who does not understand this, does neither escape from the lower
states of existence, from the course of pain, misery & suffering, from this round
of rebirth. Digha Nikaya 15
Whoever understands dependent origination understands the Dhamma.
Whoever understands the Dhamma understands the dependent origination.
Majjhima Nikaya 28
Dependent Co-Arising (Paticca Samuppada):
Ignorance causes mental construction to arise.
Mental construction causes consciousness to arise.
Consciousness causes name-&-form, mind-&-matter to arise.
Name-&-form cause the-6-sense-sources to arise.
The-6-sense-sources cause contact to arise.
Contact causes feeling to arise.
Feeling causes craving to arise.
Craving causes clinging to arise.
Clinging causes becoming to arise.
Becoming causes birth to arise.
Birth causes ageing, decay, & death to arise.
Ageing, decay, & death cause Suffering to arise.
So is the emergence of this entire mass of Suffering!
The Chain of Causality of Being is exceedingly Vast & Subtle!
There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the mental moments.
There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the material moments.
There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the life of a being.
There is becoming, birth, presence, decay, and ceasing of the galaxies of the universe.
This sweeping yet exhaustive description of causality applies to all these above four
extreme time-scales and all those in between. Verily indeed a Universal Generality is
this Dependent Co-Arising (Paticca Samuppada)!
Dig it & keep digging. Then true understanding will ever expand:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn12-002.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn12-020.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn12-044.html
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/paticca_samuppaada.htm
Everything has a Cause: Conditioned Origination & Cessation:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/ontology.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Not_Yours.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Evident_Facts.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Crucial_Necessity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Elemental_Analysis.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Caused_by_What.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Proximate_Cause.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Profound_Causality.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Dependent_Causation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Cohesive_Co-Origination.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Collapsible_Co-Cessation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Dependent_Origination.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Causes_of_Emergence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/No-Agent_but_Dependence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Past_Cause_Present_Effect.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/paticca_samuppaada.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Assured_&_Ascertained_Awakening.htm
Caused by What?
Everything has a Cause, but which one?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Caused_by_What.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/various/Poya.Uposatha.Observance_days.2013.htm
The 5 Abilities are Mutually Dependent!
The 5 Abilities (indriya) are:
The ability of Faith (saddha)
The ability of Energy (viriya)
The ability of Awareness (sati)
The ability of Concentration (samadhi)
The ability of Understanding (pañña)
They depend mutually and strengthen each other in forward & reverse causality.
The 1st causes the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th. In parallel all mutually enhances each other!
Such are essentially fine examples of co-dependent co-arising! Paticca-samuppada:
Vice-Versa Causality:
One who has faith, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also has faith.
One who has faith, is also aware. One who is aware, also has faith.
One who has faith, also concentrates. One who concentrates, also has faith.
One who has faith, also understands. One who understands, also has faith.
One who is energetic, is also aware. One who is aware, is also energetic.
One who is energetic, also concentrates. One who concentrates, is also energetic.
One who is energetic, also understands. One who understands, is also energetic.
One who is energetic, also has faith. One who has faith, is also energetic.
One who is aware, also concentrates. One who concentrates, is also aware.
One who is aware, also understands. One who understands, is also aware.
One who is aware, also has faith. One who has faith, is also aware.
One who is aware, is also energetic. One who is energetic, is also aware.
One who concentrates, also understands. One who understands, also concentrates.
One who concentrates, also has faith. One who has faith, also concentrates.
One who concentrates, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also concentrates.
One who concentrates, is also aware. One who is aware, also concentrates.
One who understands, also has faith. One who has faith, also understands.
One who understands, is also energetic. One who is energetic, also understands.
One who understands, is also aware. One who is aware, also understands.
One who understands, also concentrates. One who concentrates, also understands.
Source: Ven. Sariputta in: The Path of Discrimination: Patidasambhidamagga:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=133494
Analytic Abilities...
The 5 Abilities are Mutually Dependent!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Analytical_Abilities.htm
How to be a Real Buddhist through Observance?
Durutu Poya day is the full-moon of January. This holy day celebrates
the first visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka. The Buddha visited the very
place, where the present magnificent Mahiyangana Stupa was built to
enshrine the Buddha's hair relics and the collar bone. For Details see:
http://www.buddhanet.net/sacred-island/mahiyangana.html and
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/ma/mahiyangana.htm
Mahiyangana Stupa
On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the
Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean
bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first
three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor.
Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines
in a loud, calm & steady voice:
As long as this life lasts:
I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.
I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!
I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules:
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.
As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...
Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! So is the start towards Nibbana: the Deathless Element!
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness,
initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and
fulfilled by training of Meditation...
Today indeed is Pooya or uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with
name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new
quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!
The New Noble Community of Buddha's Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm
Can quite advantageously be Joined Here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm
May your journey hereby be light, swift, and sweet. Never give up !!
Bhikkhu Samahita: what.buddha.said@gmail.com
For Details on The Origin of Uposatha Observance Days:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html
Have a nice observance day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
How to be a Real Buddhist by Observance?
Today is Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Durutu_Poya_Day.htm
Some children can remember exact & verifiable details of their prior life they never could have come to know in this their current child life. These details can be objectively and independently confirmed. Remarkably & quite biologically enigmatic: Some of them have birth marks and birth defects at very same locations as the lethal injury causing their often abrupt and violent past life death. Eg. Born with 5 missing fingers after a prior life accident where they were cut off... Birthmarks at the exact location where they got gunshot wounds in their prior life, which could be confirmed from the autopsy report of their deceased individuality. Furthermore: Some can speak a language they never have learnt in this life (xenoglossy) corresponding to their past life language & nationality.
They can in some cases remember names of siblings and other family members in their past life family who they never have met in this life...
The pioneer on this research was the late Dr Ian Stevenson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Stevenson
He founded The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA.
http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/home-page
Selected Ian Stevenson Bibliography:
(1974). Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (second revised and enlarged edition). University of Virginia Press.
(1974). Xenoglossy: A Review and Report of A Case. University of Virginia Press.
(1975). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. I: Ten Cases in India. University of Virginia Press.
(1978). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. II: Ten Cases in Sri Lanka. University of Virginia Press.
(1980). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. III: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey. University of Virginia Press.
(1983). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. IV: Twelve Cases in Thailand and Burma. University of Virginia Press.
(1984). Unlearned Language: New Studies in Xenoglossy. University of Virginia Press.
(1997). Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects. Volume 1: Birthmarks. Volume 2: Birth Defects and Other Anomalies. Praeger Publishers.
(1997). Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect. Praeger Publishers (a short, non-technical version of Reincarnation and Biology).
(2000). Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation (revised edition).
(2003). European Cases of the Reincarnation Type. McFarland & Company.
Summarized in the recent:
Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson
http://www.amazon.com/Science-Self-Survival-after-Death/dp/1442221143
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442221147
by his colleague, Emily Williams Kelly:
Ian Stevenson was a prominent and internationally-known psychiatrist, researcher, prolific author, and well-regarded figure in the field of psychical research. Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson is the first book devoted to surveying the entirety of his work and the extraordinary scope and variety of his research. He studied universal questions that cut to the core of a person’s identity: What is consciousness? How did we become the unique individuals that we are? Do we survive in some form after death? Stevenson’s writings on the nature of science and the mind-body relationship, as well as his empirical research, demonstrate his strongly held belief that the methods of science can be applied successfully to such humanly vital questions. Featuring a selection of his papers and excerpts from his books, this collection presents the larger context of Stevenson’s work and illustrates the issues and questions that guided him throughout his career. Our esteemed colleague, Emily Williams Kelly, is the editor of this collection of Dr. Stevenson's writing.
How is the gradual refinement of the 5 mental abilities?
There are these 5 mental Abilities:
The ability of faith ,
The ability of energy ,
The ability of awareness ,
The ability of concentration ,
The ability of understanding !
What are the six aspects of these abilities?
They are dominant.
They are initiating.
They makes quality.
They are stabilizing.
They are completing.
They are the foundation.
How are the abilities to be understood in the sense of being dominant?
When one leaves behind skeptic doubt, the faith ability is found in one as being dominated
by definitive decision. This faith ability dominated by resolute determination to decision,
then facilitates exertion, presence, non-distraction and seeing.
When one leaves behind laziness, the energy ability is found in one as being dominated
by exertion of effort. This energy ability dominated by exerting effort, then facilitates
presence, non-distraction, seeing and decisiveness.
When one leaves behind negligence, the awareness ability is found in one as being dominated
by presence. This awareness ability dominated by presence, firmly founded, then facilitates
non-distraction, seeing, decisiveness and exertion.
When one leaves behind agitation, the concentration ability is found in one as being dominated
by non-distraction. This concentration ability dominated by non-distraction, calm, then facilitates
seeing, decisiveness, exertion and presence.
When one leaves behind ignorance, the understanding ability is found in one as being dominated
by seeing. This understanding ability dominated by seeing, penetrative and clear, then facilitates
decisiveness, exertion, presence and non-distraction.
This is how the abilities are to be found and understood as through dominance!
More on these 5 Mental Abilities:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Faith_Summary.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Ability_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Awareness_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Concentration_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Understanding_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Five_Abilities_Summary.htm
Source: Sariputta in: The Path of Discrimination: Patidasambhidamagga
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=133494
Authoritative Abilities!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/IV/Dominant_Abilities.htm
Enthusiastic Energy Boosts Advantageous Right Effort!
By it one strives and struggles, thus is it energetic effort.
Any advantageous exertion of endeavour is a right effort.
By it one works in the right direction, thus is it right effort.
It is right, because it eliminates all the ugly evil mentalities.
It is effort, because it brings progress of well-being and bliss.
Therefore is it called Right Effort. It is a name for Energy...
Right Effort achieves these four functions:
1: Elimination of already arisen detrimental mental states!
2: Prevention of detrimental mental states not yet arisen!
3: Initiation of advantageous mental states not yet arisen!
4: Maintenance of already arisen advantageous mental states!
Thus is it fourfold. That is why it is called the 4 right efforts...
For a full Study on Energy (Viriya): The root Hero of all Success:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Definition_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Arising_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Ability_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Origin_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Enthusiastic_is_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Power_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Ballanced_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Chief_Hero.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energetic_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Avoiding_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energy_Viriya.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Dual_Energy.htm
Source: The Path of Purification:
Visuddhimagga by Ariya Buddhaghosa from 5th century AC.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=771100
Energy Boosts Endavour!
Energy Thrusts Advantageous Right Effort!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energetic_Effort.htm
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Sangahako mittakaro,
Vadaññu vitamaccharo,
Neta vineta anuneta,
Tadiso labhate yasam.
Friendly + Unselfish = Honourable!
Who is hospitable, and friendly,
Generous and unselfish,
A guide, a teacher, a leader,
Such one will to honour attain.
Digha Nikaya 3.273
Have a nice day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Friendly + Unselfish = Honourable!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Friendly_plus_Unselfish_equals_Honourable.htm
The Anatta Doctrine is the core of Buddhism!
Individual existence, as well as the whole world, is in absolute reality nothing
but a process of ever changing phenomena, which all are included in the five
groups of existence: Form, Feeling, Perception, Construction & Consciousness!
This process has gone on from time immemorial, before one's birth, & also after
one's death it will continue for an endless period of time, as long, and as far,
as there are causing conditions feeding it! These five groups of phenomena in
no way constitute an ego-entity, enduring personality, same self or inner soul
neither when taken separately nor when combined... Neither can any identity
or substance be found 'outside' of these all embracing groups of phenomena...
In other words, the five groups of existence are not-self or no-self = anatta,
nor do they belong to a self = anattaniya. In view of the impermanence & the
conditionality of all existence, a belief in any form of self must be evaluated
as an illusion. Why so? Self must stay the 'same' in order to remain a true self.
But nothing here or there ever stays the same! All is transient & impermanent!
Secondly: Self must be in control to be called a self. But no self can control
causality... Things arise & cease - despite whatever self - due to conditions...
Since nothing stays the 'same' as an identical identity, no thing can be self!
Since nothing is in full control even of itself or any other, no thing can be self!
Just as what we designate by the name car, has no existence apart from axle,
wheels, motor, chassis, and so forth, or as the word house is only a convenient
designation for various materials such as cement, clay, wood etc. put together
in a specific way so as to close a portion of space. Apart from these materials
there is no separate 'house entity' in existence! In exactly same way is that,
which we call a 'being' or 'individual', or 'person', or by the name 'I' or 'Me'
nothing but an ever changing mixture of physical & mental phenomena, made up
of the above mentioned five groups and has as such no real existence in itself.
This is, in brief, the anatta doctrine of the Buddha: The teaching that fathoms
that all that exists dead or alive is void (suñña) of a permanent self or substance!
It is the fundamental Buddhist doctrine, not found at all in any other religious
or philosophical system. To comprehend it fully, not only in a neat abstract and
intellectual way, but by constant reference to actual experience, is indeed an
indispensable condition for the true understanding of the Buddha-Dhamma and
for the realization of its goal: Nibbana... Yeah!
Venerable Nyanatiloka Thera: Born 1922 in Germany. Died 1957 on Ceylon.
The Ego Tunnel - Prof. Dr. Thomas Metzinger TED video:
For more on Anatta = No-Self = Fundamental Core Voidness see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/I-dentification.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Ego-Projection.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anatta_No_Self.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/No_Agent_is_Inside.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Anatta_Doctrine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Anatta_Doctrine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Just_Passing_Bubbles.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Neither_Agent_nor_Actor.htm
Question: If there neither is any 'Self' or any 'Substance' what is 'Reality' then?
Answer: Fundamentally Void and Empty ...
Anatta: Void of What?
Self-&-Substance-lessness is the hidden & even missing core in all being!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Anatta_Doctrine.htm
When is the Way to the Deathless element Opened?
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus and friends, these 8 things, purified, cleansed, immaculate, free from distortion,
elegant and sophisticated, if not arisen do not arise at all except from the appearance of a
Tathagata, an Arahat, a Perfectly Enlightened One, or outside a Well-Gone-One’s Discipline!
What eight?
1: Right View (samma-ditthi)
2: Right Motivation (samma-sankappa)
3: Right Speech (samma-vaca)
4: Right Action (samma-kammanta)
5: Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva)
6: Right Effort (samma-vayama)
7: Right Awareness (samma-sati)
8: Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)
These 8 things, purified, cleared, faultless, unaltered and not decayed, advanced and refined,
if not emerged do not appear, except when a Thus-Come-Thus-Gone One, a Worthy One,
a Perfectly Self-Awakened One emerges, except for when the Method of Training of a
Well-Gone One is well established… Just these 8 immaculate Things…
Rare is emergence of this fine path & method!
Further study on this unique & fine Noble 8-fold Way:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Middle_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Fulfilled_First_.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Noble_8_fold_Way.htm
http://What-Bssuddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_3-fold_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Failed_by_Neglect.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Noble_8-Fold_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Golden_Middle_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Fruits_of_the_Noble_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4th_Noble_Truth_on_The_Way_to_Cease_Suffering.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:14-5] section 45:14-7 Purified Emergence ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
8 immaculate steps!
When is the Way to the Deathless element Opened?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Rare_Emergence.htm
Liberation means Leaving all States!
Any greed, lust, desire, longing, urge, hankering, hoping or wishing for this or
that state must be made to fade away absolutely, enabling mind to be fully
released and thus liberated by the elimination of all greed. All states of the 3
planes (sensual, fine-material and formless existence) is meant all-inclusively,
since it is necessary not to omit anything suitable for complete comprehension.
The Blessed One said: Bhikkhus, without directly knowing, without fully under-
standing all, without causing the fading away of any greed for this all, without
leaving it all behind, the mind is incapable of the full destruction of suffering!
Bhikkhus, it is by directly knowing, by fully understanding all, by causing the
fading away of greed for it, by abandoning it, that the mind becomes capable
of the irreversible complete destruction of all suffering! SN IV 17
On the many forms of Craving (Tanha):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Cut_Craving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Elemental_Analysis.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Craving_is_Pain.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Cause.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/tanhaa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Origin_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Ceasing_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Catastrophic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_3_kinds_of_Craving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_2nd_Noble_Truth_on_The_Cause_of_Suffering.htm
Have a nice day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_ Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Leaving All States Behind!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Leaving_All_States.htm
Genuine Devotion is a rare Delight!
Homage to that Perfectly Self-Enlightened One!
Thus, indeed, is that the Blessed One: He is the worthy One, fully enlightened,
endowed with clear vision and virtuous conduct, sublime, the knower of worlds,
the incomparable leader of men to be tamed, the teacher of gods and men,
awakened and blessed. Forever do I reverence for the Buddhas of the past,
those of the times to come, those Buddhas of the present time...
No other refuge do I seek: The Buddha is my only true refuge. By this Truth
may peaceful victory be mine! I revere with my head the dust on his holy feet.
If I have wronged the Buddha, may the Buddha bear with me.
Until life’s end, to the Buddha I go for saving refuge.
Who is the foremost speaker among mankind, The Sakyan Sage, O Holy One,
whose task is done, gone beyond, possessed of supreme power and energy!
To you, the wellcome and wellgone One, I go for refuge!
Homage to that perfectly formulated Dhamma!
The Dhamma of the Blessed One is perfectly explained, to be seen here and
now, inviting one to come and see, leading onward to Nibbana; to be known
by any wise, each for himself. Homage to that Dhamma leading out of this
suffering, out of samsara! The Dhamma of the ages past, the Dhamma of
the times to come, the Dhamma of the present time, forever do I reverence.
No other refuge do I seek, the Dhamma is my true refuge. By this Truth:
May peaceful victory be mine! I revere with my head this triple Dhamma of
the three supreme qualities: Morality, Concentration and Understanding...
If I have wronged the Dhamma: May the Dhamma bear with me.
Until life’s end to the Dhamma I go for refuge.
Freed from lust, cleared of craving, sorrow-free: An absolute Law, gracious,
gratifying and satisfying, sweet, potent, profound, an analytic science...
To this very Dhamma I go for refuge!
Homage to that Great Sangha Community of the Eight Noble persons.
The Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the good way;
the straight way; the true way ; on the direct way, that is to say: the 4 pairs
of men, the 8 types of persons. This Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is
fit for gifts, fit for hospitality, fit for offerings, and fit for reverential
salutation with joined palms, as an incomparable field of merit in the world.
Forever do I reverence: The Sanghas of the past ages, those of the times
to come, and the Sanghas of the present time. No other refuge do I seek.
The Sangha is my true refuge. By this very Truth: May peaceful victory be
mine! I revere with my head this peerless Sangha. If I have wronged this
Sangha: May the Sangha bear with me. Until life’s end, to the Sangha I go
for refuge. Whatever is given to the four pure pairs of persons and these
eight kind of people, who have realized the Truth, this bears great fruit...!
To this very Sangha I go for refuge!
More on Faith (Saddha) and Devotion (Bhakti):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leaping_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Outstanding_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Power_of_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Mutual_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Full_Faith_Frees.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Going_Forth_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Hand_Wealth_and_Seed.htm
How to become a real Buddhist formally? Take refuge here!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm
Source: BPS Wheel no 54 (Edited Excerpt):
The Mirror of the Dhamma. A Manual of Buddhist Devotional Texts.
By Narada Thera and Bhikkhu Kassapa. Revised By Bhikkhu Khantipalo:
http://www.bps.lk/wh054-u.html
Devotion is Delight!
Devotion induces Dedication!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Devotion_is_Delight.htm
Remembering Death is Daily Buddhist Routine!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Just as the mighty Himalayan mountains
Are high, all-expansive, & weighing heavily;
Just so do ageing & death suppress & defeat
All living beings in this world, whether divine,
rich, warrior, priest, trader, slave, or sweeper!
Not sparing anyone whatsoever,
Crushing anybody that is found!
Source: SN 3:25
The Most Precious Altar of our Temple:
Soon this fragile body will fall to the ground,
lifeless, cast aside, without any consciousness,
stiff, cold & useless like a rotten log of wood ...
Dhammapada 41
Momentary
Whosoever knows this body
to be as temporary as a bubble,
as insubstantial as a mirror image,
May break Mara's honey tipped arrows and
Can thus not be seen by this evil King of Death ...
Dhammapada 46
Big Surprise!
Death carries off the folly man while distracted
by gathering various flowers of sensual pleasure,
even & exactly so as the huge tsunami wave runs
all over and carries away the sleeping village.
Dhammapada 47
In the ultimate sense, beings have only a very short moment to live:
Only as long as one single moment of consciousness lasts!
Just as the cart wheel, in rolling forward as in standing still,
every time rests merely on one point of its rim: just so does any life
of any being last only as long as a single moment of consciousness lasts!
As soon as this moment is gone, that momentary being is also all gone...
One is therefore reborn millions of times in each second!
For as it was said by the ancient elders:
All life and all existence here is blinking & momentary,
All life's engaged involvement, its joy and all its pain,
Depends all only on one single discrete state of mind,
And quickly that moment passes by, for never to return...
Source: Visuddhimagga VIII,1
More on the inevitable fact of Death:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Death.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Game_Over.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Deathless.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/a/amata.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Death_Contemplation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Desireless_is_Deathless.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Deathless_Dimension.htm
Game Over Ever Again!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Momentary_Life.htm
A good Friend quite wisely asked:
Question:
>I've often seen you translate karuna as "pity,"
but isn't pity actually the near enemy of karuna?
Answer:
Friend your good question exemplifies a common misconception and
non-recognition of a mixed state…Since it depends how you define and
thus understand “Pity” as a mixed state, or in itself as a pure state!
In itself Pure Pity = Karunâ is defined as:
Pity originally means ‘feeling for and of other’s pain’, or "sympathy" and
"empathy". However only IF mixed with egoism it gets more unsympathetic
connotations of feeling of “own” superiority based on conscious or even
unconscious lack of respect of the sufferer's dignity, who is now seen as
“inferior”. However this Evil does not come from pity itself, which is a pure
compassion for the plight of the sufferer, but to the often unseen and
overlooked aspect of mixed-in impurities of the EGO-conceit “I am Better”!
Since for to say or think, even subconsciously, “I am Better” there just
have to be present the mistaken belief in a non-existent Ego = The conceit
that “I am” = asmi-mâna... Needless to say has this arrogant & pride-pumped
“I”-dentification & “self”-deception nothing whatsoever to do with fellow
feelings for another being’s suffering, though it can often subconsciously
be mixed with it and thus polluting this in itself advantageous & good pure pity.
Moreover regarding karuna especially as "Buddhist Pity":
There is no “sorrow” or “sadness” in this state as it is based on understanding
of cause and effect. From the Visuddhimagga:
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf
“One whose meditation subject is pity should arouse compassion for any
[evil-doing] person even if he now is happy: “Though this poor wretch is now
happy, cheerful, enjoying his wealth, still for want of even one single good
deed done now in by any of the 3 doors of intentional behaviour he will
come to experience untold future suffering in the states of loss.”
Cut short:
A Noble Person feels empathy and pity for any being in Samsara due to
understanding of the inherent dangers in that Samsaric trap for anyone
without understanding of the 4 Noble Truths, but he does not feel sorrow
or sadness on that account! If he did, then Pity (Karuna or Compassion)
would not be an advantageous (kusala) mental state promoting Happiness,
which is the sole purpose in the first place!
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pity
More on Pity (Karunâ = Compassion):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Endless_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Karuna_is_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Wrong.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Great_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Compassionate_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Space_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/b_f/brahma_vihaara.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Cruelty_and_Revengefulness.htm
Pure is Unpolluted Pity...
May all beings becomes happy thereby!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Pure_Pity.htm
Joys neither of this world, nor even Beyond!!!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
And what, Bhikkhus, is the Joy not of this world? Aloof and above any lust,
quite secluded from any sense desire, protected from any disadvantageous
mental state, one enters & dwells in the 1st jhana mental absorption; full of
joy & pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed & sustained thought...
With the stilling of directed & sustained thought, one later enters & dwells
in the 2nd jhana of calmed assurance & unification of mind devoid of any
thought & thinking, joined with joy & pleasure now born of concentration!
These are called the joys not of this world!
And what, Bhikkhus, is the joy beyond that joy, which is not of this world?
When a bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his
mind liberated from lust, freed from hatred, and released from confusion,
there arises a transcendental joy. This is called Joy quite beyond that joy,
that is not of this world...
More on quite rapturous Joy (piti) here hihihi ;-):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Joy_Piti.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Rejoicing_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Alert_Elevated_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Super-Human_Delight.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Super-Human_Delight.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_Beyond_This_World.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm
Regarding Joys of this World: Balance - Sara Tavares seems infectious!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [235-7]
section 36:11 On Feeling: Vedana. Joys beyond this world ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Joys beyond this World!
Have a nice, noble, and joyous day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
There is a Supra-Human kind of Delight!
Joys beyond this World!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_Beyond_This_World.htm
Some children can remember exact & verifiable details of their prior life they never could have come to know in this their current child life. These details can be objectively and independently confirmed. Remarkably & quite biologically enigmatic: Some of them have birth marks and birth defects at very same locations as the lethal injury causing their often abrupt and violent past life death. Eg. Born with 5 missing fingers after a prior life accident where they were cut off... Birthmarks at the exact location where they got gunshot wounds in their prior life, which could be confirmed from the autopsy report of their deceased individuality. Furthermore: Some can speak a language they never have learnt in this life (xenoglossy) corresponding to their past life language & nationality.
They can in some cases remember names of siblings and other family members in their past life family who they never have met in this life...
The pioneer in this research was the late Dr. Ian Stevenson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Stevenson
He founded The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA.
http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/home-page
A presentation of him is here:
An evaluation of his rebirth research is here:
Evidence in Ian Stevenson's Research by Robert Almeder
Follow up on this ground-breaking reincarnation research by Dr. Jim Tucker:
Selected Ian Stevenson Bibliography:
(1974). Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation (second revised and enlarged edition). University of Virginia Press.
(1974). Xenoglossy: A Review and Report of A Case. University of Virginia Press.
(1975). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. I: Ten Cases in India. University of Virginia Press.
(1978). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. II: Ten Cases in Sri Lanka. University of Virginia Press.
(1980). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. III: Twelve Cases in Lebanon and Turkey. University of Virginia Press.
(1983). Cases of the Reincarnation Type, Vol. IV: Twelve Cases in Thailand and Burma. University of Virginia Press.
(1984). Unlearned Language: New Studies in Xenoglossy. University of Virginia Press.
(1997). Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects. Volume 1: Birthmarks. Volume 2: Birth Defects and Other Anomalies. Praeger Publishers.
(1997). Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect. Praeger Publishers (a short, non-technical version of Reincarnation and Biology).
(2000). Children Who Remember Previous Lives: A Question of Reincarnation (revised edition).
(2003). European Cases of the Reincarnation Type. McFarland & Company.
Summarized in the recent:
Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson
http://www.amazon.com/Science-Self-Survival-after-Death/dp/1442221143
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442221147
by his colleague, Emily Williams Kelly:
Ian Stevenson was a prominent and internationally-known psychiatrist, researcher, prolific author, and well-regarded figure in the field of psychical research. Science, the Self, and Survival after Death: Selected Writings of Ian Stevenson is the first book devoted to surveying the entirety of his work and the extraordinary scope and variety of his research. He studied universal questions that cut to the core of a person’s identity: What is consciousness? How did we become the unique individuals that we are? Do we survive in some form after death? Stevenson’s writings on the nature of science and the mind-body relationship, as well as his empirical research, demonstrate his strongly held belief that the methods of science can be applied successfully to such humanly vital questions. Featuring a selection of his papers and excerpts from his books, this collection presents the larger context of Stevenson’s work and illustrates the issues and questions that guided him throughout his career. Our esteemed colleague, Emily Williams Kelly, is the editor of this collection of Dr. Stevenson's writing.
Rebirth from a Early Buddhist Perspective:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Rare_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Samsaric_Dread.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Five_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Endless_is_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_5_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Kamma_and_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Rebirth_and_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Samsaric_Round.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Human_Being_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Past_Cause_Present_Effect.htm
When there is No Need for anything at All:
The Buddha said on the need for Bliss:
Friends, for the virtuous one, correctly behaving, completed in morality, there is no need to wish:
“May I enjoy a clear conscience”, since the right action, of correct behaviour completed by
purifying morality, naturally results in the arising of a clear conscience.
Friends, for the moral one of clear conscience, there is no need to wish: “May gladness pervade me”,
since any clear conscience spontaneously is followed by the appearance of joyous gladness!
Friends, for the glad one there is no need to wish: “May rapture thrill me”,
since gladness automatically excites exalted rapture.
Friends, for the enraptured one there is no need to wish: “May calm tranquillity still me”,
since rapture inherently simply evaporates all urge and frustrated restlessness.
Friends, for one dwelling in serene tranquillity there is no need to wish: “May pleasure perfuse me”,
since abiding calmly in tranquil ease all by itself, makes one delight in pleasure.
Friends, for one perfused by pleasure there is no need to wish: “May I be absorbed in concentration”,
since a mind filled with pleasure effortlessly & smoothly condenses into a single focused unification!
Friends, for one concentrated there is no need to wish: “May I understand reality as it actually develops”,
since the undistracted concentrated mind efficiently penetrates phenomena & causes as they really are.
Friends, for one knowing & seeing reality there is no need to wish: “May disgusted disillusion detach me”,
since seeing reality & knowing how it always becomes, induces detachment by disgusted disillusion.
Friends, for one detached by disillusion there is no need to wish: “May I realize final mental release
through absolute knowledge & vision”, since such disgusted disillusion, friends, naturally, readily, easily,
essentially & characteristically culminates in the matchless, unsurpassable & supreme releasing liberation
by complete knowledge & vision. Yeah, so mighty is morality!
The Buddha on more Bliss:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Buddha_on_Bliss.htm
Source:
The Numerical Sayings of the Buddha: Anguttara Nikaya V 2-3
Natural Bliss!
When there is No Need :-)
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Natural_Bliss.htm
Maintain this Noble Wish of Sympathy:
May I be happy, may I sustain my happiness by living without trace of enmity.
May all beings be happy & successful: May they be of full of joy, all beings
that breathe & have life, whether they are weak or strong, tiny or huge,
visible or invisible, near or far away, born or to be born, let all beings enjoy
safety, content ease and a serene bliss!
Let no one deceive another, let no one be harsh in speech, let no one by anger
or hatred wish bad for his neighbour. Even as a mother, at the risk of her life,
guards and protects her only child, so with a boundless heart of compassion,
I venerate all living beings by permeating this entire universe with sympathy,
above, beneath and all around, without limit, immeasurable and endless!
In this very fine way I cultivate an infinite goodwill toward this whole world.
Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all my waking hours I will
always treasure and dwell in this thought, knowing that this way of caring
is the most Noble in this entire universe!
Thus shall I, by stilling pointless discussions and controversies, and by acting
blamelessly, be gifted with tranquillity and true insight into what is profound.
Thus shall I subdue the urge for sense-pleasure, and never again know rebirth.
May this also inspire and thereby cause all other sentient beings to fulfil the
conditions leading swiftly to Nibbana, which is the only lasting happiness!
May all sentient beings be thus liberated & fully released from all suffering.
May all sentient beings thus escape the dangers of ageing, disease, & death.
Friendliness is the Greatest! Yeah... :-)
More on this blazing Friendliness (Metta):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Calm_Kindness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Friendship.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Universal_Friendliness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Released_by_GoodWill.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unsurpassable_Radiance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Infinite_and_Divine_Classic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Buddha_on_Noble_Frienship.htm
On Biological Symbiosis="Living together with", an advantageous Social Model:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiosis
http://www.ms-starship.com/sciencenew/symbiosis.htm
Creating a Future Harmony: So that we may sleep with our doors open,
among hanging gardens and dance with the children in our arms! :-)
Have a nice symbiotic day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Let us all be Good in Joy!
Symbiotic Sympathy!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Symbiotic_Sympathy.htm
What is the Cause of Contentment?
The blessed Buddha once said:
Contentment is the Highest Treasure!
Dhammapada 204
Solitude is happiness for one who is content,
Who understands & clearly sees the Dhamma.
Udana 10
What is the proximate cause of contentment?
Mutual joy with others success is the proximate cause of contentment...
Therefore: If one is always gladdened by other's success, one will always be content!
Therefore: If one is never gladdened by other's success, one will always be discontent!
Therefore is contentment caused by an altruistic mental state & not by external richness...
Example: Rich people possessing all the things they ever desired, can still be very discontent!
And vice versa: Poor people not having much, can still be very content and very much smiling!
Contentment even with almost nothing!
More on the Contentment:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Contentment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Cause_of_Contentment.htm
How to cultivate mutual joy & thus increase contentment:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness.htm
Proof:
The beings above are without many possessions, yet seemingly quite content!
Have a nice content day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Calm and Content!
Contentment is the Highest Treasure!
If one is always gladdened by other's success, one will always be content!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Calm_and_Content.htm
Non-Control makes U into a Monkey-Robot!
The Buddha once asked: How, Bhikkhus and friends, is there non-control?
Seeing a form with the eye, one becomes attracted by the pleasing form,
while repelled by the displeasing form. Having heard a sound with the ear,
one becomes attracted by the charming sound, while repulsed by a horrid
sound. Having sniffed a smell with the nose, one becomes attracted by the
lovely smell, while repelled by a detestable smell. Having tasted a flavour
with the tongue, one becomes attracted by the liked taste, while repelled
by a disliked taste. Feeling a touch with the body, one becomes attracted
by the pleasant touch, while repelled by any unpleasant touch. When one
experiences a mental phenomenon with the mind, one becomes attracted
by the agreeable mental phenomenon, while repelled by any disagreeable
mental phenomenon. In this uncontrolled way does such mind live without
having established Awareness of the body, & confined by a limited mind!
Therefore does such one neither understand, nor experience that release
of mind, that mental liberation through understanding, wherein those evil
detrimental states cease without remaining trace. In exactly this way
is there non-control!
Comments:
The limited & finite mind is a mind not made infinite by the praxis of the
4 sublime or 'divine abodes' (brahma-vihara), also called the four infinite
mental states (appamañña), which are:
1: Universal Friendliness (Metta),
2: Universal Pity (Karuna),
3: Universal Sympathy (Mudita), and
4: Universal Equanimity (Upekkha).
More on this crucial Mind-Control:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/In_Control.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Blazing_&_Bright.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Magnificent_Mind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Highway_to_Nibbana.htm
Please UPDATE your mental SOFTWARE before social CRASH!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [189-]
35: 6 Senses. Salayatana. States that entail Suffering. Dukkha-Dhamma.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice, noble and controlled day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Non-Control makes U into a Monkey-Robot!
Taming the Monkey-Robot-Mind!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Non-Control.htm
How to train Rejoicing Joy in others Success?
When sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes:
May I radiate and meet only never-ending and mutually rejoicing joy!
May I & all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find
only celebration and elation in a never-ending mutually rejoicing joy!
May I & all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane
develop and encounter this generous, infinite and mutually rejoicing joy!
May I & all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left, and below as
above, develop and experience openhearted, sharing, & mutually rejoicing joy!
May I and all beings within this city, country, planet and universe always:
Be fully aware and deeply mindful of this content and mutually rejoicing joy!
Examine all details & aspects of this satisfied and mutually rejoicing joy!
Put enthusiastic effort in our praxis of this devoted mutually rejoicing joy!
Enjoy enraptured jubilant gladness in this exulting mutually rejoicing joy!
Be silenced by the tranquillity of quiet and all smiling mutually rejoicing joy!
Be concentrated & absorbed into one-pointedness by genuine rejoicing joy!
Dwell in an imperturbable equanimity of pure and mutually rejoicing joy...
Yeah! May it be even so, since mutual joy causes the jewel of contentment!
Comment: Mutual Joy is the 3rd infinite mental state (Appamañña):
This gradually reduces all envy, jealousy, possessiveness, stinginess, avarice
miserliness, green covetousness and unhappiness related with all these states.
The cause of Mutual Joy in rejoicing in your child's or boon companion's success.
This same joy can then be beamed towards all liked, neutral and hostile beings.
Mutual Joy is then the proximate cause of satisfied and fulfilled Contentment...
Lack of mutual joy is thus the proximate cause of dissatisfied discontentment...
Joined with the 7 links to Awakening it will later cause a formless jhana...
Be happy at all and especially other being's success! Then calm comfort grows!
More on Mutual Joy (Mudita):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Rejoicing_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Mutual Joy causes Contentment!
Rejoicing Joy!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm
Feeding the Joy Link to Awakening!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, just as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence on
feeding & cannot survive without food, even so are the 7 Links to Awakening
also sustained by feeding, they also can only exist in dependence on feeding
and they cannot survive without feeding... And what, bhikkhus, is the feeding
of the emergence of any yet unarisen joy and also feeding of the completion
by increase of any already arisen joy? There are mental states that are the
originator, maker, producer, root, basis & source for the awakening of joy!
Frequently giving careful & rational attention to them, is feeding the arising
and gradual fulfillment of joy... And what is the starving that obstructs the
emergence of any yet unarisen joy and which also hinders any already arisen
joy from reaching sweet fulfillment by development? There are states that
are the basis & source for the joy link to awakening! Not giving frequent
careful and rational attention to them; not considering them much & often;
is the starving that prevents any unarisen joy from arising and also blocks
any already arisen joy from reaching any complete fulfillment by mental
meditative training...
Comments from the classical commentaries:
Elated & ecstatic exultation is the characteristic of the Joy Link to Awakening
(Piti-sambojjhanga). Motivated intentness upon is the purpose of the quality of Joy.
Satisfaction lifting any depression is the manifestation of the Joy Link to Awakening.
Thinking of Joy makes this state return! This can be utilized by training it! Try now!
This reinforcement - in itself - has the capacity to gradually elevate and induce Joy!
Therefore is the state of gladness & Joy itself mainspring, basis & source of more Joy…
It is the deliberate directing attention to this, again & again, that can produce Joy!!!
Further conditions helpful for arising of the Joy Link to Awakening are:
1: Recollection of the supreme and sublime uniqueness of the Buddha...
2: Recollection of the supreme and sublime uniqueness of the Dhamma...
3: Recollection of the supreme and sublime uniqueness of the Sangha...
4: Recollection of the supreme and sublime efficacy of pure Morality...
5: Recollection of the supreme and sublime efficacy of prior Generosity…
6: Recollection of the qualities that gave the devas their divinity...
7: Remembering the stilled silent state of blissful Peace...
8: Avoidance of primitive, violent, angry, rough, and coarse people.
9: Friendship with refined & kind people, who often smile in silent ease.
10: Reviewing by reading many inspiring dhamma discourses like this one.
11: Commitment & resolute determination to elevate the mind by Joy...
There is joy joined with thinking and there is joy separated from thinking!
Both leads to enraptured advance towards many advantageous states.
Awakening is a veritable flood of bliss!
More on this delightful Joy (Piti), that is not of this world:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_Beyond_This_World.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Alert_Elevated_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Joy_Piti.htm
Sources (edited extracts):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V: 65-6+102-8] 46: Links. 2+51: Group & Nutriments....
Feeding the Joy!
Gladness keeps away both Madness & Sadness ;-)
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Joy.htm
A Scottish child can remember his prior life on a remote island Barra in a white, single-story, & ocean-near house with a highly unusual and pin-pointing specific view: Planes landing directly on the beach! The boy could never have come to know this exceptional aviation detail in advance in this his present life, nor the exact name of this island. He also correctly identifies his past life family name. This documentary follows the tracking of his rebirth details by Dr. Jim Tucker.
The extraordinary is a rare & unusual, but not unreal event!
The pioneer in this research was the late Dr. Ian Stevenson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Stevenson
He founded The Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA.
http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/home-page
A presentation of Dr. Ian Stevenson is here:
An evaluation of his rebirth research is here:
Evidence in Ian Stevenson's Research by Robert Almeder
Follow up on this ground-breaking reincarnation research by Dr. Jim Tucker:
On Rebirth from an Early Buddhist Perspective:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Rare_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Divine_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Animal_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Samsaric_Dread.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Minor_Hells.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Five_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Birth_is_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Hell_Destiny.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Endless_is_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_5_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Kamma_and_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Rebirth_and_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mad_Demon_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Samsaric_Round.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Human_Being_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Hungry_Ghost_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Past_Cause_Present_Effect.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/What_passes_on_by_Rebirth-Linking.htm
The Truth of Rebirth and Why it Matters for Buddhist Practice by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/truth_of_rebirth.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/truth_of_rebirth.pdf
REBIRTH VIDEOS:
BBC Documentary on Remembered Previous Lives
Reincarnation Evidence in Ian Stevenson's Research by Robert Almeder
Scientific Reincarnation Evidence by Dr Ian Stevenson
Scientific Rebirth Research:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/reincarnation01.html
BBC documentary on Near Death Experiences:
Near-Death Experiences on the Intensive Care Unit
Reincarnation research by Ian Stevenson Children's past life memories:
Scientific Evidence of Rebirth by Dr Jim Tucker:
The Cardiologist on the Near-Death Experience 1
The Cardiologist on the Near-Death Experience 2
Near-Death Website:
http://near-death.com/
Purification is best in Sweet Silent Solitude!
CONTENT WHEN UNDERSTANDING
Solitude is happiness for one, who is content,
Who sees and clearly understands this Dhamma.
Harmlessness is happiness in all worlds,
Kindness towards all living beings. :-)
Udana 10
IDEAL SOLITUDE
Avoid going along with fools. Should one fail to find
any one, who is better or equal as a good companion,
then one should continue this journey all alone.
Since there can be no friendship with fools...
Dhammapada 61
SWEET & NOT LONELY
The one who has tasted the sweetness of solitude
in cooled calm, such one fears not, and wrongdo not,
since so indeed is the sweet joy of true Dhamma!
Dhammapada 205
SOLITUDE AS NECESSITY
If one cannot find a clever companion, upright, straight and determined,
then walk alone like a king leaving the kingdom, like an Elephant freely
roam in all the forest...
Dhammapada 329
SOLITARY FREEDOM
Life in solitude is better than friendship with the fool.
Let the one live alone, acting only right, freed from greed,
Like the Bull Elephant freely roam in all the forest.
Dhammapada 330
THE MASTER
Mastering the hands.
Mastering the feet.
Mastering the speech.
Mastering the thoughts.
Highest Master of Mind;
Concentrated and composed,
Calm and content in secluded solitude,
Such one is indeed rightly called a Bhikkhu ...
Dhammapada 362
Comments: Be realistic!
If one cannot be in company with one-self, then something must be wrong!
Any form of company will dissolve, since all meetings end in separation...
The ever socializing parrot-like personality cannot ever end suffering!
Only dead fish float with the stream!
More on Sweet Secluded Solitude:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Alone_yet_Free.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Rhinoceros_Horn.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/Wheels/wh_188.pdf
Sweet Solitude!
Only dead fish float with the stream!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Sweet_Solitude.htm
What is Suffering?
At Savatthi. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Radha said to the Blessed One:
Venerable sir, it is said, 'suffering, suffering', What now, venerable sir, is suffering?
Radha, all form is suffering, all feeling is suffering, all perception is suffering,
all intentional mental formation is suffering, and consciousness itself is suffering.
Understanding this, Bhikkhu, a well instructed Noble Disciple experiences disgust
towards any form, disgust towards any feeling, disgust towards any perception,
disgust towards any mental construction, & disgust towards consciousness itself!
Experiencing disgust, he becomes disillusioned! Through this disillusion his mind
is released. When mind is released, one instantly knows: This mind is liberated,
and one understands: Extinguished is rebirth, this Noble Life is all completed,
done is what should be done, there is no state of being beyond this...
Comments:
These 5 clusters of clinging are what denotes both the internal 'individual'
and the 'external' real world. However as they continually change, no same
internal 'self'= identity or external 'substance'= reality can ever be found!
Since always changing they are always lost and therefore are they always
ultimately speaking suffering! An inner mental prison of craving for something
inevitably, unambiguously & spontaneously vanishing! A fever of folly obsession…
The Suffering and Imprisonment is NOT outside, but inside in our mind!
More on Suffering = Dukkha
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Source_of_What.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Origin_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_3_kinds_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Suffering_2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_1st_Noble_Truth_on_Suffering.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 22:55 III 185
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Life comes at a price...
What is Suffering?
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Cause_of_Identity_View.htm
These Eight Aspects of Feeling should be Understood!!!
A certain Bhikkhu once asked the Blessed Buddha: Venerable Sir,
1: What is feeling?
2: What is the cause of feeling?
3: What is the way to emergence of feeling?
4: What is the ceasing of feeling?
5: What is the way to cease feeling?
6: What is the satisfaction in feeling?
7: What is the danger in feeling?
8: What is the escape from feeling?
The Blessed Buddha answered:
There are, Bhikkhu, three feelings:
1: The 3 feelings are pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neutral feeling.
2: Sense contact is the proximate cause of all feeling...
3: Craving is the way leading to the emergence of feeling...
4: The end of sense contact, ceases all feeling instantly...
5: This Noble Eightfold Way is the way to cease feeling...
6: The delight and joy of feeling: This is the satisfaction within feeling...
7: The danger in feeling is its transience, & inherent change into suffering.
8: The escape from feeling is the elimination of desire and lust for feeling.
Comment:
Running after pleasurable feeling like mad robots, beings come to pain &
death ever again... Wanting short-term pleasure one gains long-term pain!
This is an unnecessarily heavy price, when there actually is an alternative
of lasting happiness called Nibbana. It is thus quite well worth the effort
to give up all emotional and sensorial addiction and obsession. Only then
can one ever be completely free, truly happy and dwell in peace :-) Yeah!
All mental states converges on Feeling (Vedana):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Indifference_Creates_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Three_Basic_Kinds_of_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Feeling_Causes_and_Effects.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_8_Aspects_of_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Bodily_and_Mental_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Detached_from_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Dependent_on_Contact.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Focusing_on_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Analysis_of_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_108_Feelings.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Emotional_Storm.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Latent_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Five_Feelings.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [232-3]
section 36: On Feeling: Vedana. A Certain Bhikkhu... 23.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Feelings Dominate & Dictate!
Feelings are just passing reactions.
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/The_8_Aspects_of_Feeling.htm
What are the 7 Fruits of the Abilities?
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, there are these 5 abilities. What five?
1: The Ability of Faith.
2: The Ability of Energy.
3: The Ability of Awareness.
4: The Ability of Concentration.
5: The Ability of Understanding.
When these 5 abilities have been developed & cultivated, then
seven supreme fruits and excellent benefits may be expected!
What are these seven fruits and advantageous benefits?
1: One attains final knowledge early in this very life. If not then;
2: One attains final knowledge at the time of death. If not then;
3: One having cut the 5 lower chains attains Nibbana in between;
4: One attains Nibbana upon landing in the pure abodes. If not then;
5: One attains Nibbana in the pure abodes without effort. If not then;
6: One attains Nibbana in the pure abodes with some effort. If not then;
7: One is bound Upstream, heading towards the Akanittha realm.
When, Bhikkhus, these five mental abilities have been developed and
cultivated, these seven sublime fruits and benefits may be expected.
On the 5 Mental Abilities and the pure abodes:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Five_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/s/suddhaavaasaa.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:237] section 48: The Abilities: 66.
The 7 Fruits!
What are the 7 Fruits of the Abilities?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Seven_Able_Benefits.htm
What is a Good Lay Buddhist Disciple?
The Sakyan Mahanama once asked the Blessed Buddha:
Venerable Sir, What is a Lay Disciple?
Having taken refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha, one is a Lay Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Pure Disciple?
Avoiding all killing, stealing, sexual abuse, lying, and neither drinking any
alcohol nor taking any drugs causing neglect, one is a Pure Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Faithful Disciple?
Placing faith in the Enlightenment of the Tathagata thus:
Worthy, honourable & perfectly self-Enlightened is the Buddha! ... teacher &
guide of gods and humans, exalted, & awakened ... one is a Faithful Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Generous Disciple?
Living mentally devoid stinginess, liberal, open-handed, delighting in donation,
devoted to charity, enjoying all giving & sharing, one is a Generous Disciple!
Venerable Sir, What is a Disciple who Understands?
One who understands the cause of arising & ceasing, which is Noble, decisive,
& which enables eradication of Suffering is a wise Disciple who Understands!
More on the Buddhist Lay Disciple (Upasaka):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/upaasaka.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/The_Good_Disciple.htm
The Buddha Gotama's first five disciples (Pañcavaggiya)
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:395]
Section 55 on Stream-Entry: Sotapattisamyutta. Thread 37: Mahanama.
The Good Lay Disciple!
Prime Priority: Get the Right Map!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Lay_Disciple.htm
Complete Detachment by Relinquishing All!
Friends, we should train in this very way:
I will not cling to neither the eye, nor to the ear, nor to the nose,
nor to the tongue, nor to the body, nor to the mind...
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on awareness of any
sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, nor any mental states...
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any visual contact,
auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, or any mental contact...
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any feeling aroused
from all these visual, otherwise sensed or ... mental contacts...
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any form, emotion,
perception, construction, or any deliberately directed attention!
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any solidity, fluidity,
heat, motion, space, nor on any sort of mentality whatsoever...
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on any infinitude of space,
any infinitude of consciousness, any sphere of nothingness, any sphere
of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor on any other subtle state...
Thus will my consciousness neither depend on anything in this world,
nor on anything in any other transcendent world beyond this world…
Thus will my consciousness be independent of what is seen, heard,
sensed, cognized, encountered, searched for & examined by the mind...
It will be without base, source, & object, unconnected, unconstrained,
unrelated, autonomous, fully freed, sovereign, sublime and supreme…
This -only this- itself leads to the released liberation of final freedom!!!
Source:
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: Majjhima Nikaya
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.phtml?prod_id=25072X
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/majjhima/index.html
Complete Detachment!
Final Fundamental Freedom ...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Final_Fundamental_Freedom.htm
How to be a Real Buddhist through Observance?
Navam Poya day is the full-moon of February. This holy day celebrates
the ordination of the Buddha Gotama's main disciples Sariputta and
MahaMoggallana. On this day Buddha also later decides his Parinibbana.
The death moment of the Buddha, where he enters Nibbana (Sanskrit Nirvana)...!
On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the
Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean
bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first
three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor.
Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines
in a loud, calm & steady voice:
As long as this life lasts:
I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.
I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!
I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules:
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.
As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...
Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! So is the start towards Nibbana: The Deathless Element!
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness,
initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and
fulfilled by training of Meditation...
Today indeed is Pooya or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with
name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new
quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!
The New Noble Community of Buddha's Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm
Can quite advantageously be Joined Here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm
May your journey hereby be light, swift, and sweet. Never give up !!
Bhikkhu Samahita: what.buddha.said@gmail.com
For Details on The Origin of Uposatha Observance Days:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html
Have a nice Poya Observance day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Today is Navam Poya Day!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Navam_Poya_Day.htm
Mentality & Materiality are Mutually Dependent:
Interdependence of Mentality and Materiality; of the dual Name-and-Form:
Mentality alone has no efficient power, it cannot eat, drink, speak, nor walk...
Materiality alone is also without sufficient power, since it cannot do anything
without orders and drive: It has neither desire to eat, drink, speak, nor walk...
When materiality and mentality are joined together, these two twins can act:
When mentality (mind) has a desire to eat, a desire to drink, a desire to speak,
or a desire to walk, it is materiality (body) that eats, drinks, speaks & walks!
Mentality and Materiality, Mind & Matter are Inseparable!
Therefore did the Ancient Elders say:
The mental and the material does really exist,
But here there is no 'human being' to be found,
For it is void and merely fashioned like a doll!
Just suffering piled up like grass and sticks...
The mental and the material: Name-and-Form
Are Siamese Twins, that each supports the other:
When one dies, they both die, surely inseparable,
Due to the necessary mutual dependence...
They cannot come to be by their own strength,
Or even maintain themselves by their own power
Depending on other states, weak in themselves,
Conditioned and constructed, they come to be;
They come to be, with others as crucial requirement.
They are activated by others as if their controller,
They are thus produced by object and condition,
And each by something other, than itself...
And just as men depend upon
A boat for traversing the sea,
So does the mental mind need the
material body for real efficiency.
And as the boat depends upon
The men for traversing the sea,
So does the material body need the
mental mind for induction & control.
Depending each upon the other.
The boat and men can sail the seas.
And so do both mind and matter
Depend, the one, upon the other...
Vism 597
On this Mind-&-Matter Duality, Mentality-Materiality, Naming & Forming:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Name_and_Form.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Core_Duality.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/No_Being_No_Person.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/naama_ruupa.htm
discriminating mind-&-matter
Is this phenomena Mind or Matter or both or neither?
The Siamese Twins ...
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/The_Siamese_Twins.htm
Calm (samatha) & Insight (vipassana):
There are two principal kinds of mental development:
1: Development of mental tranquillity and calm (samatha-bhavana)
culminating in the development of concentration (samadhi-bhavana)
And!
2: Development of insight (vipassana-bhavana) culminating in the
development of understanding (pañña-bhavana).
Both qualities: Calm and Insight, are essential & crucial for release!
Tranquil Calm (samatha) is the pleasant, peaceful, yet lucid state of
a settled mind acquired as a preliminary to meditative absorption.
It blesses the meditator with 3 things: Happy life, happy rebirth, &
a mental purity suitable for gaining progressive penetrating insight!
Concentration is a necessary prerequisite for such cutting insight..
Why so? It removes distractions that veil the investigating vision!
Insight is that which leads to entrance of the 4 stages of Nobility..
Why so? It irreversibly removes gross & latent mental hindrances!
The term samadhi literally means ~being firmly put evenly together
(sam + a+ dha) & is mental state focused on only one single object=
cittassaekaggata, which literally means ~ one-pointedness of mind.
Any state of consciousness has a degree of mental concentration!
One may distinguish these four stages or levels of concentration:
1: Momentary or transient concentration (khanika-samadhi),
2: Preliminary or preparing concentration (parikamma-samadhi),
3: Access or approaching concentration (upacara-samadhi),
4: Absorption or attainment concentration (appana-samadhi).
Insight (vipassana) is the penetrative understanding, gained by only
direct meditative experience of the inherent transience, misery, &
selflessness (anicca, dukkha, anatta) of all physical & mental states
of existence all included in these 5 clusters (khandha) of clinging:
form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness.
Bhavana is derived from the causative form of the verbal root bhu,
bhavati = to be, to become, causing to be, making come into being,
the calling into existence of, the production of or development of.
When applied to Mental Training this simply means Meditation...
Simultaneous Calm and Insight! Photo: The Kawasakis
More on Insight (Vipassana):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Highway_to_Nibbana.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_18_Principal_Insights.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Breathing_Calm_and_Insight.htm
Calm and Insight!
The Dual Advantage of Mental Training:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Calm_and_Insight.htm
Joys neither of this world, nor even Beyond!!!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
And what, Bhikkhus, is the Joy not of this world? Aloof and above any lust,
quite secluded from any sense desire, protected from any disadvantageous
mental state, one enters & dwells in the 1st jhana mental absorption; full of
joy & pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed & sustained thought...
With the stilling of directed & sustained thought, one later enters & dwells
in the 2nd jhana of calmed assurance & unification of mind devoid of any
thought & thinking, joined with joy & pleasure now born of concentration!
These are called the joys not of this world!
And what, Bhikkhus, is the joy beyond that joy, which is not of this world?
When a bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his
mind liberated from lust, freed from hatred, and released from confusion,
there arises a transcendental joy. This is called Joy quite beyond that joy,
that is not of this world...
More on quite rapturous Joy (piti) here hihihi ;-):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Joy_Piti.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Rejoicing_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Alert_Elevated_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Super-Human_Delight.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Super-Human_Delight.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_Beyond_This_World.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm
Regarding Joys of this World: Balance - Sara Tavares seems infectious!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [235-7]
section 36:11 On Feeling: Vedana. Joys beyond this world ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Joys beyond this World!
Have a nice, noble, and joyous day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
There is a Supra-Human kind of Delight!
Joys beyond this World!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_Beyond_This_World.htm
These 7 States are Focused on one single object: Nibbâna!
The Awareness Link to Awakening is foremost, in the sense of rolling overall like a wheel.
The Investigation Link to Awakening is the chief, in the sense of greatness like an elephant.
The Energy Link to Awakening is the prime, in the sense of being swift & strong like a horse.
The Joy Link to Awakening is vital, in the sense of giving brilliant radiance like a jewel.
The Tranquillity Link to Awakening, is primary in the sense of soothing like a mild woman.
The Concentration Link to Awakening, is best in the sense of giving wealth like a treasurer.
The Equanimity Link to Awakening is supreme, in the sense of ballance like a good advisor.
These seven links to awakening are thus like the 7 treasures of a wheel-turning monarch.
They awaken beings into the state of entering the stream leading to the deathless Nibbana.
They further awaken beings into the state of returning here as human only one more time.
They furthermore awaken beings into the state of never returning here as human again.
They finally fully awaken beings into the state of Arahatship by complete Enlightenment!
When these seven states coincide simultaneously; fused into the same assemblage; all being
joined focused on only one single and same object: Nibbana, then Awakening occurs...
This 7-fold supreme culmination is the final Enlightenment!!! Yeah...
Awakening is 7 mental qualities focused on 1 single object...
More On these 7 Links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Awareness_Sati.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Investigation_Vicaya.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Energy_Viriya.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Joy_Piti.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Tranquillity_Passaddhi.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Concentration_Samadhi.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
Awakening is a phase transition of consciousness...
Local to => Universal + Discrete to => Continuous!!!
Enlightenment transcends both time and space & is thus inexpressible!
Have a nice awakening day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Focused and Fused!
Enlightenment Transcends both Time & Space!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Focused_and_Fused.htm
Disgust Releases by Evaporating all Greed!
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this:
Bhikkhus, for any clansman who has gone forth out of faith in my teaching,
to do this, is in perfect accordance with the supreme Dhamma:
He should dwell contemplating the impermanence inherent in any form...
He should dwell contemplating the suffering inherent in any form...
He should dwell contemplating the impersonality inherent in any form...
He should dwell absorbed in disgusting any form, in disgusting any feeling,
in disgusting any perception, in disgusting any construction, & in disgusting
any form of consciousness! One who dwells immersed in revulsion towards
any form, revulsion towards any feeling, revulsion towards any perception,
revulsion towards any mental construction, and revulsion towards any kind
of consciousness fully understands all form, all feeling, all perception, all
mental construction, and all states of consciousness!
One who fully understands form, feeling, perception, mental construction,
and consciousness is freed from form, feeling, perception, constructions,
and consciousness! I tell you: He is even freed from birth, ageing, & death!
Freed from all sorrow, weeping, pain, discontent, and desperate despair!
I tell you: He is freed from all Suffering...
Yet not pleasant disgust liberates mind by diminishing craving.
More on Liberation through Disgust (Nibbida, Asubha):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Any_Kind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Food_Disgust.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Skeleton.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_32_Parts.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Evil-smelling_body.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Corpse_Meditation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Body_as_only_Form.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_Disgust.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Constructive_Destruction.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_9_Corpse_Meditations.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 22:146-9 III 179-80
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice, noble, released and relaxed day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Revulsion reduces Craving & releases Clinging!
Disgust Releases!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Released_by_Disgust.htm
Praise or Blame. Fame or Failure!
The Buddha said about BLAME:
This, Atula, is an ancient saying, yet timeless and thus relevant even today:
They blame the one, who talks much. They blame the one, who says little.
They even blame the silent one... No one in this world is never blamed!
Dhammapada 227
FACT
There never was, nor will there ever be, nor does there exist one now,
who is only praised or only blamed ....
Dhammapada 228
PRAISED
The one examined carefully by the wise, yet still praised as peerless,
wise, learned and genuinely good, like a ring of refined gold, who can
ever rightly blame such one? Even the divine and Brahma praise such one!
Dhammapada 229-30
Comments: The Buddha once asked his students, "And what is right speech?
Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle
chatter: This is called right speech." -SN 45.8
He also taught: "Monks, a statement endowed with five factors is well-spoken,
not ill-spoken. It is blameless & faultless by knowledgeable people. Which five?
It is spoken at the right time. It is truth. It is kind. It is advantageous. And it
is spoken with a mind of good-will." -AN 5.198
In addition to right speech, the Exalted Master taught us to develop other
skilful qualities of intention, thoughts, words, and actions, in order to become
peerless, wise, learned, good, blameless, and praised. These are right view,
right motivation, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness
and right concentration. Practicing in this way, we not only acquire peace for
ourselves, through admiration, we also improve society, and our reputation...
Other skilful qualities we can develop are present moment awareness,
conviction, persistence, understanding, and analysis as well as kind metta,
compassion, truly altruistic joy, equanimity, generosity, virtue, and patience.
The development, prolonging and maintenance of these skilful states of mind
not only benefit ourselves, they expand outward, like sweet rings in water!
When we meditate upon which of these qualities we need to develop and how
to go about increasing and sustaining them, we are rightly praised by all beings
EVEN THE DIVINE , and are able to gradually approach the pure, tranquil,
and entirely stilled state, NIBBANA ! As pure as gold !
More on Right Speech (Samma-Vaca):
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-vaca.html
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Truth_Triumphs.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/What_to_Say.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Splitting.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Scolding.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Gossiping.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Not_Deceiving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_is_Right_Speech.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Fourfold_Right_Speech.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Optimal_Observance_IV.htm
With Metta, Jonathan
Pure as GOLD!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Pure_as_Gold.htm
The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:
The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, all this Suffering does so caused by Feeling!
Another consequent consideration is:
By ending all Feeling, there cannot therefore ever arise any Suffering!
Repeatedly seeing both pleasant, painful & neutral feeling all fade away,
and instantly vanish in each moment, one is freed for passion for feeling!
By quenching craving for feeling one becomes all cool & quite calmed...
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically,
one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this life,
or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...
Those who neglect understanding Feeling, the origin of Feeling, the End
of Feeling, & how Feeling is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of
release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thus
incapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end...
They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death ever again...
While those who undertake understanding of Feeling, Origin, End & Way,
are quite capable of mental release by understanding, & capable of making
an end... They are near the deathless dimension!
Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipata 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipata/index.html
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=201818
On the Dual Consideration of the Twin Truths:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_1.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_3.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_4.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_5.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_6.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_7.htm
Feeling entails Suffering!
Sensing comes at a heavy price...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Rhinocero's_Horns_7.htm
Friendliness can cross any Border!
If friendship between animal beings can cross even remote species borders,
so can and should we humans also make our kind friendship extend beyond
any national, religious, cultural, gender, educational, job, and age border!
Only in this very good way, can we establish a society, where we can sleep
with the doors open, and dance with the children in our arms. So be it :-)
May all creatures, all breathing things,
all beings one and all, without exception,
experience good fortune only.
May they not fall into any harm.
Anguttara Nikaya II, 72
With good will for the entire cosmos,
cultivate a limitless heart & mind:
Beaming above, below, & all around,
unobstructed, without trace of hostility.
Sutta Nipata I, 8
For one who deliberately & aware
develops Universal Friendliness
Seeing the fading away of clinging,
All chains are worn down & broken.
Itivuttaka 27
Let no one deceive another
or despise anyone anywhere,
or through anger or irritation
wish for another to suffer.
Sutta Nipata I, 8
I am a friend of the footless,
I am a friend of all bipeds;
I am a friend of those with four feet,
I am a friend of the many-footed!
Anguttara Nikaya 4.67
As I am, so are others...
As others are, so am I...
Having thus identified self and others,
Never Harm anyone, nor have any abused.
Sutta Nipata 3.710
Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived in the jungle.
No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone.
Uplifted by such universal friendliness, I enjoyed the forest.
Finding great solace in such sweetly silenced solitude…
Suvanna-sama Jataka 540
Train yourself in doing good
that lasts and brings happiness.
Cultivate generosity, the life of peace,
and a mind of infinite universal love.
Itivuttaka 22
The 9th mental Perfection is Friendliness (Metta):
Just as water refreshes and cleanses both just and unjust persons without
discrimination, so does the perfection of friendliness include both friends
and foes alike, and doesn't enact any distinction, favouritism, or partiality.
More on this fabulously fine Friendliness (Metta):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Symbiotic_Sympathy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The-Effective_Saw.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/The_11_Advantages.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Evaporated_Enemy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Genuine_Goodwill.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Blazing_Goodwill.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Cosmic_Goodness.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Unbounded_Mind.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Goodness_Galore.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Loving-Kindness.htm
Goodwill Blazes Beyond... :-)
Friendship can cross any Border!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Across_Borders.htm